Search for the Sword
by JenJenJen13
Summary: Yunseong's on a grand adventure to find Soul Edge! 69 reviews, lmao! It's not complete, it's getting re-written and re-vamped! Stay tuned, check my profile for details! :D Yun-seong/Mina, Siegfried/Cassandra
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Soul Calibur or Soul Edge. But if I did, I would harness their energy and rule the world! (just kidding) But seriously, if Soul Calibur was mine, all MINE, Yun-seong would so be nekkid. Or at least in his underwear. Heheheh.**

Let's see... yes, this has been **REPOSTED**, not plagerized!! I decided to change the pairings a little. Instead of being Yun-seong/Cassandra (crack pairing xD) I changed it to **Yun-seong/Mina**, and **Cassandra/Siegfried** (who shows up later). Yun-seong/Mina is my favorite SC pairing, (and yes, I'm talking to you, Mr. Hwang Sung-Kyung) and Siegfried/Cassandra is good too. :)

Umm, it doesn't really follow anyone's TOS (Tales of Souls) pattern, so I'm kinda just winging it as far as plot is concerned. **Yun-seong is the main character**, but if you don't like him, don't worry 'bout it, I make sure to put my main character through as many violent/uncomfortable situations as possible. :) Because I can, that's why. XD

I use the spelling "Seung Mina" instead of "Seong Mi-na" because I like the former spelling better. Stupid reason, but whatever.

**T rating due to excessive violence, excessive profanity, sexual innuendo, a few flashbacks, and random almost-naked Yun-seong moments.** Haha. Don't say I didn't warn you. :D

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"Eeeyah!! Ha-hah! Man, this is totally a waste of my time!!" Yun-seong yelled, brandishing White Storm enthusiastically. God, he loved this sword. It was like an extension of his own arm. It would kill him inside to return it to Mina.

The young Korean's voice rang out with glee as he struck down yet another ninja. Ever since he'd arrived in the Eastern Territory, he'd been welcomed by the many attacks of ninjas, their sights set on the fragment of the evil sword Yun-seong was trying to find.

Being a natural warrior, eighteen-year-old Hong Yun-seong wasn't going to take any crap from ninjas. Or from his master's daughter, Seung Mina, who was probably following him right now, obviously intent on bringing him and White Storm back to the Seung Dojo.

Her heart was in the right place; but Yun-seong was bored with his simple dojo student life and wanted adventure. If Mina caught up to him, he already knew she loved the thrill of traveling from place to place as much as he did; he'd appeal to that and coax her into continuing the journey with him.

Me and Mina, travelling the world together, Yun-seong thought with a smile. As embarassing as it was to admit out loud, he'd liked Mina ever since he was about fifteen, which was how old he was when he enrolled himself in the dojo to learn how to fight.

And learn to fight was exactly what he did. These stupid ninjas were popping up everywhere, and although Yun-seong was trying not to kill them, some of the bodies strewn across the ground weren't unconscious, but dead. Yun-seong never killed anyone unless they tried to kill him, but it had been necessary a few times so far. The ninjas were part of a gang, and this wasn't a peaceful gang, either. They were after Yun-seong's life, but he wasn't giving it up without a fight.

"Dammit, Mina's gonna kill me," he grumbled, staring at White Storm. "I'm so in over my head... I'm trying to find that stupid sword, and here I am in who-the-hell-knows-where, killing ninjas. Maybe I should've stayed home."

A high-pitched shriek jarred him from his thoughts as yet another ninja, one he'd already struck down, charged him, brandishing his katana and swinging it maniacally.

"EEEEEEE!!!" the man screamed, in the annoying high-pitched ninja scream that was giving Yun-seong a headache.

Yun-seong yelled and ducked out of the way, but not without leaving a significant chunk of his auburn hair behind. "HEY!" he said angrily. "Watch it, ass face!"

The man replied with another annoying "EEEEE!!" and swung again. Yun-seong blocked the man's attack and delivered a brutal kick to the man's abdomen. With the half-guilty, half-pleased feeling he always felt after defeating someone trying to kill him, Yun-seong watched the man crumple to the ground.

"Alive. Good," Yun-seong sighed. He looked down at his hair on the ground and winced. Aw, man, this sucked. He wondered how bad the damage was. He stretched his aching muscles and ran his hand through his butchered hair. It wasn't so bad, he couldn't even tell anything had happened to it. Good.

Although traveling the world was exciting, especially for someone as young as Yun-seong, he didn't think it wasn't dangerous; to him, it was boring traveling by himself. It had been a while since he'd talked to anyone, unless it was exchanging witty banter before a fight broke out. He knew Mina was following him; although most likely she would KILL him the minute she caught up to him, she might want to stay with him and they could continue their adventure together.

And then she'll figure out how awesome I am, Yun-seong thought, bringing another ninja down. Just 'cause I'm not Hwang doesn't mean I'm not cool too. I'll show Mina and everyone else that I'm better than Hwang ever could be.

He had encountered a group of young children earlier, but they were a good incentive for him to get back on the road once again, being annoying little pests. Yun-seong had come across a small city destroyed by war, hearing stories that a fight over an evil sword called Soul Edge had caused it, and headed to the city immediately.

There were no signs of what caused the war, but the aftermath was horrible to look at. On the outskirts of the village, Yun-seong encountered the group of orphaned children and a girl who seemed to be taking care of them, a supposed wind priestess named... what was her name? Yun-seong already forgot.

The girl had told him the sword that caused the destruction of this village was evil. Yun-seong had promptly replied, "Yeah, no shit!" Obviously something good and pure didn't trash this place. After spending two weeks trying to coax some useful information out of the girl and the little orphans, Yun-seong left, much to the dismay of the girl, who had grown very fond of him during his stay.

A little TOO fond in Yun-seong's opinion, but whatever. Visiting the war-torn village had been a giant waste of time, although it was sad to see. In fact, it looked like Korea did after the Japanese invasion two years ago, when Hwang Sung-Kyung, Yun-seong's former hero, now rival, went to fight and made a name for himself.

Rumors around Jilisan, Yun-seong's home town, said Hwang was dead. More rumors said the war was still going on. And finally, the rumor most denizens of the Seung Dojo believed was Hwang decided to go somewhere else, to avoid his inevitable marriage with Seung Mina, who wasn't too thrilled about that.

Honestly speaking, Yun-seong why the other dojo boys he trained with hated Mina so much. She was usually nice to him, on occasion; of course, he'd had his head bashed in with her zanbatou several times, but most of the time they got along fine.

His friends used to tease him about his friendship with the master's daughter, saying that he was just trying to get her in his bed, but that wasn't the case. Of course, there was no denying that she was beautiful, and although he did like Mina, a lot, he was too terrified of her slaughtering him to even try and suggest such a thing.

Yun-seong's thoughts about Mina were distracted by another loud shriek.

"Met-SUUUU!!"

"Aw, damn, another one?" Yun-seong looked up, to meet the angry, obsidian eyes of yet another ninja, this one a woman wearing a red body suit.

His first thought was "Ew!" The woman's red body suit left, as the saying went, "nothing to the imagination," but instead of being disgusted by the woman's lousy taste in apparel, Yun-seong barely had time to do much of anything before she attacked him, knocking him off balance and onto the ground.

"Ow! What the heck was that for!?" Yun-seong said angrily, his hand moving to White Storm's hilt and drawing the blade. "Get outta here!"

"Nothing personal," the woman smirked, "but you're in my way. Prepare yourself!" She attacked again, but Yun-seong was ready, blocking her attack with White Storm. The woman recovered instantly and instead attacked Yun-seong again, this time furiously slashing at the young man, who was barely able to block.

"Ow! Watch it!" Yun-seong said angrily, sticking his bleeding index finger in his mouth and sucking on it. "Who are you anyway!?"

Instead of answering him, the ninja woman sped past the young Korean, reaching out with one of her double blades and driving her blade into Yun-seong's forearm, and dragging it through his skin. She pulled it out, tearing Yun-seong's arm open.

"AAAAAAAAGGH!!" Yun-seong yelled in pain and grabbed his wounded arm, which was bleeding at a fast rate, but that didn't stop him!! "Dammit! That really hurt!" he swore angrily, trying to block the sharp pain of his arm from his mind. Focus, dumbass, FOCUS!

The woman wasn't done, and continued her assault, sending a round of sharp kicks toward Yun-seong's midsection, which he dodged.

"Hehe. Haven't had enough, have you?" the woman asked, smirking.

Yun-seong gritted his teeth angrily and spat, "Too bad for you, but I don't feel like losing today!" Gripping White Storm tightly in his right hand, his sword hand, he jabbed straight forward, under the woman's outstretched leg and right into her chest, feeling it penetrate through her flesh into her chest.

The woman shrieked and fell to her knees, collapsing on her side, and Yun-seong withdrew White Storm's blade out of her internal organ system. "Ew," he grumbled, noticing the sticky red blood mixing with the slimy organ liquid.

"Oops. Damn. I gotta get better control," Yun-seong said, glancing down at the woman. "Man... I didn't mean to do THAT..."

The woman was gasping in pain, saying things like "You bastard" and "Demons, be gone". Yun-seong looked at her blankly, his sympathy limited. She got what was coming to her, after all; she was trying to kill him, and his arm was throbbing in pain.

But she was alive. Not by much, though. He didn't kill her, but she'd most likely die soon, either be killed by travelers through the area, or worse, eaten by wild animals.

Shockingly enough, Yun-seong watched in awe as the woman managed to stand upright, holding her midsection and breathing heavily. "This isn't the end," she spat at Yun-seong. "I'll be back to finish you once and for all!"

"Whatever," Yun-seong scoffed. The woman glared at him once more, and to Yun-seong's shock she leapt into the air, landing on the plateau at least 15 feet in the air, before running away.

Well, nothing to worry about here. Yun-seong felt a sharp pain and looked down at his left arm, his jaw dropping in horror. His entire arm was swamped with blood, and he was out of supplies to bandage it properly.

"What the hell am I gonna do?" Yun-seong moaned, slumping to the ground. "Ow... this sucks..."

Although his arm was hurting so much Yun-seong was tempted to hack it off with White Storm, he gritted his teeth and forced himself to ignore the pain the same way he did during his fight with the ninja. That evil sword was out there somewhere, and so was the Sword of Salvation. Yun-seong decided to continue going, but reluctantly.

"It's only my left arm," he convinced himself. "I don't use my left arm... much..."

Yun-seong continued across the rocky terrain for all of maybe ten minutes, until finally the severe loss of blood started to affect his vision. He felt dizzy and nauseous and felt as though the land around him was spinning. The intense heat of the sun was burning into him and the sand his feet kicked up as he walked was starting to blow into his arm, stinging the wound even more.

"Ugh..." he groaned, stumbling and landing on all fours, wincing in pain. "Maybe... I'll rest for a second..." he mumbled, rolling onto his side and putting all his weight on his right arm and promptly collapsed, lying in the middle of the sandy path, blood streaming from his left arm and pooling around his wounded appendage.

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Of course he's not going to die, don't be silly. Nope, Yun-seong's adventures are just beginning. While you're waiting for me to update, go read The War!! But personally speaking, I think this story is much better than The War is... D:

Yup, that's pretty much it for me, and now, dear readers, it's YOUR turn. If you liked it, let me know with a shiny review. I always try and reply to you when you send me a logged in review, so if you've got a question I'll answer it for you. And if you absolutely hated something I did or you just hated the whole thing, then go ahead and rip me a new one:D

Anyway, next chapter will be posted soon. See ya and peace out.


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own Soul Calibur or Soul Edge. But if I did, I would harness their energy and rule the world! (just kidding) But seriously, if Soul Calibur was mine, all MINE, Yun-seong would so be nekkid. Or at least in his underwear. Heheheh. And hell, while I'm at it, so would Siegfried.**

Once again, **Yun-seong/Mina** and **Siegfried/Cassandra.** I'm guessing Siegfried will be around during Ch 7, so if you're here for Sieg/Cass, you might have to wait a while. Sorry about that. Mina isn't around yet either, but Yun-seong's already in love with her, so he mentions her a lot.

**T rating due to excessive violence, excessive profanity, sexual innuendo, random flashbacks, and random almost-naked Yun-seong moments. **Yup, warned once again.

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"Hey! Are you awake?"

Someone was speaking to him. It sounded like a girl's voice. Was it Mina? Could she have caught up to him already?

Where was he? He struggled to pull his thoughts together, remembering the woman ninja wounding him. My arm! My arm's bleeding! But I don't feel it any more... Yun-seong opened his eyes, curious to see where he was.

Sure enough, a girl was looking down at him. It wasn't Mina, but a girl with blue eyes and short golden hair. Pretty, but sure as hell not Asian.

"Hey!" he said, sitting up. "You're not Mina!"

"Hey, hey, take it easy!" the girl said, gently pushing him back down again. "Try and relax, alright?"

Confused out of his mind, and wondering where on earth his green tunic had gotten to, Yun-seong reluctantly settled back against whatever he was propped against and looked at the girl blankly. "Am I dead?" he wanted to know.

"No," the girl said, confused. "What makes you say that?"

Well, he wasn't dead. That's always good news. "So, uh, who are you?" he asked. That came out wrong.

The girl scowled. "My name's Cassandra Alexandra. You've got a nice way of appreciating people who saved your life," she said, standing up. Yun-seong could see she was about Mina's size, and wondered how he got here. Wherever here was, of course.

Oh, yeah, she said something. "Saved my life? How? I didn't need any help! I would have been fine!" Yun-seong said, his pride wounded.

"Well, while I was exploring the area, I noticed you, unconscious on the ground. I decided to be nice and fix you back up, but now that you're starting to get ungrateful, I'm starting to regret it," Cassandra snapped.

"Wha..? Oh! I'm sorry!!" Yun-seong said sincerely. "I just wanted to know what was going on. I didn't mean to be rude about it. I'm Hong Yun-seong. Thanks for helping me out."

"No problem," Cassandra said, a smile flashing across her face once again. "In these troubled times, you've gotta help anyone you can, you know?"

"I guess," Yun-seong said, still quite confused. "So, uh... you think it's safe to be out here by yourself? It's pretty dangerous," he added.

"You're one to talk!" Cassandra said with a laugh. "Yun-seong? What kind of name is that?"

"Korean," Yun-seong replied. "What kind of name is Cassandra?"

"Greek," Cassandra replied. "?"

"I'm searching for something," Yun-seong said, not wanting to explain the story of his escape from the dojo and his travels so far.

"What, your girlfriend left you?" Cassandra asked with a hint of a smile.

Yun-seong scowled. "No! I'm on an important mission for my country!"

"Oh. Then who's Mina?" Cassandra asked.

"Huh? H-how'd you know about Mina!?" Yun-seong asked, his face growing hot.

"You just said her name, when you woke up. Was she with you?"

"Nah... she's just a girl from my dojo. Who I like," Yun-seong scowled. "Wait, why am I telling you this? Don't tell anyone I said that!"

"Your secret's safe with me. Well, I'm searching for something too," Cassandra said, looking at Yun-seong curiously. "Y'know, I've never seen a Korean with red hair before. Is that your natural color?"

"Yes," Yun-seong said, not quite knowing how to reply to that. He looked down at his arm, surprised to see it wrapped up in fresh bandages. "Hey! Did you do that?"

"Yep," Cassandra said, sitting down across from him. "Not my best field dressing, but it gets the job done. You're lucky I found you when I did. You were lying in a pool of your own blood!"

"Well, that explains the smell," Yun-seong said. "Hey, where's my shirt at?"

"Right here," Cassandra said, and tossed the bunched up, bloodstained green tunic to him. "Sorry, I had to get it off you to fix your arm up... hope you don't mind."

Yun-seong rolled his shoulders a few times and arched his back, making sure the ninja woman's merciless attack hadn't wounded or severed any vital nerves or muscles. Everything seemed to be fine. He pulled his tunic back on, leaving it wide open as always to show off his muscular chest, and his stomach grumbled loudly.

Cassandra, who had her back to him, turned around and looked frightened. "What was THAT!?" she asked.

"Just my stomach. Do you have any food? I don't remember the last time I got to eat," Yun-seong groaned, rubbing his chest with his hand.

Cassandra smiled and dug around in her small bag. "Yeah, but go easy on it, I don't have much left," she said, tossing a bag of food at Yun-seong.

"Ew! What is this stuff?" Yun-seong demanded. Before Cassandra could answer him, he gave the food a hearty sniff and shrugged, stuffing a piece of the weird food in his mouth. "Oooh, good," he said, spraying food from his mouth with every word.

Cassandra tore her eyes away from the strange young man devouring her food and focused her attention on her own wounds, which she'd received from various places. None were as severe as Yun-seong's was, but she didn't want to risk an infection.

"Do you have any more food?" Yun-seong asked. "I dunno what that stuff was, but it was damn good!"

"HEY! I told you not to eat it all!" Cassandra said angrily. "That was all the food I had left!"

"Take it easy. I owe you one for helping me, so I'll take time out of my busy journey to personally escort you to the next town, so you can get some more," Yun-seong scoffed, standing up and stretching his legs. "Oof. That damn ninja woman sure did a number on me."

"Ninja woman?" Cassandra said curiously.

"Yeah, she's the one who slashed my arm open," Yun-seong said. "I took her down, though. Pretty scary, I nearly killed her and she turbo-launched herself like 15 feet into the air.."

"What'd she look like?" Cassandra asked.

Yun-seong tried to remember. "Uhh... she was Asian... she had black hair... she was scary looking... oh yeah, she was wearing this red full-body suit, which was pretty nasty--"

"Yup, I know who you're talking about," Cassandra said. "Yun-seong, this may sound kinda weird, considering we just met, but... by any chance have you heard of a legendary sword? Better known as Soul Edge?"

"Huh? Yeah, how'd YOU know? That's why I'm out here!" Yun-seong said. "I heard there was some evil sword out there, and I'm trying to destroy it before stupid Hwang gets the Sword of Salvation and destroys it!"

"Sword of Salvation?" Cassandra repeated. "You mean Soul Calibur?"

"No, I mean the Sword of Salvation," Yun-seong said. "I've never heard of a Soul Calibur. All I know is, find the Sword of Salvation, destroy Soul Edge, whatever that is, take the Sword of Salvation back to Korea, save my country, and Mina'll fall madly in love with me. Easy as that."

"I had a feeling I'd run into this problem," Cassandra said with a sigh. "Yun-seong, I'm sorry, but if you're really after that sword, I'm going to have to take you down."

"Huh?" Yun-seong asked. "You, take me down? Yeah, that's a good one." He chuckled.

"If you're thinking of abusing that Sword, I'm afraid you're going to have to get through me," Cassandra said firmly. "I have to destroy that sword. I promised my sister I would!"

Yun-seong snorted. "I'm not going to fight you! And besides, I'm not going to abuse the Sword. I'm going to use it, to save my country!"

"You and what army, kid?" Cassandra snapped, drawing her weapon, which was a small blade and a round blue shield.

"Don't call me a kid!" Yun-seong said angrily. "Alright, screw being a nice guy, you're going DOWN!!" His fingers gripped White Storm just as Cassandra's smaller blade lashed out at him. He dodged her attack quickly and blocked the next two, avoiding her shield strikes.

Damn! She's way too fast, Yun-seong thought desperately, wanting to end this fast. He didn't want to hurt this girl, so far she hadn't done anything to anger him yet.

"HIYAH!" Cassandra yelled, swinging again. Yun-seong blocked her attack, grabbed her by the arm and pulled it behind her back, trying to disable her. "Cut it out! I don't want to hurt you!" he said, but Cassandra stomped on his foot to free herself.

"What makes you think you can?" Cassandra scoffed, and swung her sword again. His patience running very low, Yun-seong blocked her attack with White Storm. Fortunately for him, Cassandra didn't recoil, but instead glared at him, and Yun-seong lunged and grabbed her by her arm once more, this time hoisting her over his back and throwing her to the ground.

"Knock it off!" Yun-seong said angrily.

Cassandra got up, dazed. "Ouch," she grumbled, standing to her feet. "Dammit. What'd you do THAT for?!"

"Why ELSE!? You're trying to kill me!" Yun-seong yelled. Personally, he thought it was pretty obvious!

"I am NOT trying to kill you!" Cassandra yelled. "I'm trying to stop you! I'm going to destroy that damn sword!"

"You're really starting to piss me off!" Yun-seong said angrily, drawing his sword to defend himself. "Make up your mind! Are you going to kill me or not!?"

Cassandra scowled. Although she wasn't going to let Yun-seong know, that throw hurt pretty bad. Still, it would take a lot more than a cocky idiot like Yun-seong to bring her down.

Cassandra got up and scowled. "You're gonna pay for that!" She dodged Yun-seong's sword and pounded him in the face with her shield. "Gotcha!"

"OW!" Yun-seong yelled, his eyes squeezed shut from the impact. "Dammit! What the hell was THAT for?!" Since he still couldn't see, he swung out with his sword stupidly, trying to hit an opponent he couldn't see. Dammit! Why'd she go for his FACE!?

Cassandra narrowly dodged one of Yun-seong's awkward swings, trying not to get sliced in half. "Yun-seong! Open your eyes!" she said, taking a cautious step back. She was starting to regret attacking him. He was a loose cannon!

Yun-seong angrily swung towards her voice, at this point not caring what kind of damage he did to the girl. "Get over here!" he yelled angrily, lunging with his sword. He tried to open his eyes and quickly squeezed them shut once more due to the pain. Damn! Why'd she go for his FACE!?

"Open your eyes, you idiot! You're gonna-- AAAAUUGHH!!" Cassandra shrieked. A horrible, squelching noise mixed with the sound of Cassandra's agonized scream, and Yun-seong, realizing in horror what he just did, opened his eyes.

Feeling White Storm sag into something soft, Yun-seong realized in horror what just happened. Oh, shit. Please let me have hit a tree, please be a tree, he groaned. He forced himself to open his eyes and winced, gently dislodging White Storm from Cassandra's torn clothing and her bleeding flesh.

He had just repeated his same mistake with the female ninja, although he was grateful he didn't hurt her as badly as he hurt the ninja woman. Her chest was wounded, of course, and she needed help immediately.

However, Cassandra didn't seem to keen on accepting help from the idiot who did this to her, and with good reason. "You idiot!" Cassandra gasped in pain, crouching in a fetal position, hugging her wounded chest. "Ooohh..."

"Uhh," Yun-seong said stupidly. Think, you idiot, think! You know what to do here! "I'm sorry?" he offered. No luck.

Cassandra wasn't moved. "You idiot! I'm going to die here, all because of you!" she gasped, trying to sit up.

Yun-seong crouched down on the ground next to her, holding her shoulders and looking at the damage, despite her protests. "I said I was sorry! Just let me help you! You have any bandages or something?"

"N-no!" Cassandra said angrily. "I used it all on you! I didn't think you would try and kill me!"

Yun-seong sighed impatiently. Although in his own defense, Cassandra got what was coming to her for attacking him, he couldn't leave her here to die, especially not like this. He needed something to bandage her up, and quickly.

Yun-seong dashed over towards Cassandra's belongings and dumped out the contents of a bag, proceeding to tear the thin cloth into several long pieces. "Hold still!" he said, coming back to Cassandra and crouching down next to her, trying to get her to stretch out. "Calm down!"

"Why should I trust you!? You were trying to kill me in the first place!" Cassandra yelled at a tree, apparently thinking it was Yun-seong. She was already getting lightheaded, or so it seemed.

Annoyed, Yun-seong turned Cassandra's head so at least if she was going to scream, she'd scream at him, instead of an innocent tree. "WOULD YOU SHUT UP? Stop struggling!" Yun-seong said, hurriedly wrapping one of the longer strips of fabric around Cassandra's stomach. "Was that a tree you were just yelling at?"

"OW! That hurts!" Cassandra whimpered. "You're tying it too tight!"

"Shut up!" Yun-seong grumbled, wrapping the other strip across her waist and tying them both together quickly. "There. It ain't pretty, but it gets the job done," he said, surveying his handiwork. Both of the cloth bandages were slowly absorbing the steady blood flow, showing that the wound was pretty deep.

Cassandra groaned. "G'way," she mumbled, stuttering over her words. "Or... Or I'm gonna..."

"Gonna what? Bleed on me?" Yun-seong asked sarcastically.

"Gonna... p-pound... you..." Cassandra groaned, and she slumped against the ground, unconscious. She had collapsed from blood loss, just like he did previously.

Yun-seong looked at her blankly for a while, not quite knowing what to do here. The right thing to do was to take her to an inn so she could recover properly, but Yun-seong wasn't sure if he had the money to afford a room.

"Dammit!! Why does this crap always happen to me!?" he complained.

"Well, she's not dead," he said, noticing her chest rising and falling.

"Eggh, she DID save me back there," Yun-seong said, looking down at Cassandra and talking to himself for some strange reason. "And I did nearly kill her... maybe I should get help..."

You're in the middle of nowhere, you dumbass. Where the hell are you going to get help!? he asked himself reasonably.

There's got to be a village somewhere, Yun-seong decided. He hoisted the wounded girl over his right shoulder, since his left shoulder still hurt, and reluctantly set off down the trail.

"Man, if someone jumps me, I'm gonna get nailed," Yun-seong complained to the unconcious Cassandra. "Well, I guess you're stuck with me for a while..."

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Yun-seong is a dumbass. But yup, that's pretty much it. Next chapter will be up soon. :) Thanks for reading, you're a wonderful audience!! WOOHOO!!


	3. Chapter 3

New disclaimer time. **I own Soul Calibur! I own Soul Edge! I'm the strongest person in the universe! That's right, I own them! Both of them! Not you! Meeeee!**

Yeah, the old one was much better. Oh well. Okie dokie, Ch 3 is UP!! Woohoo. I dunno when Mina is finally gonna show up... hmmmm...

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Luckily enough for Yun-seong and his wounded companion, a village wasn't too far away. The village was reasonably large, but quiet; the denizens seemed to be asleep, or at least settled away for the night.

Spotting a large building labled "INN/TAVERN" Yun-seong headed inside, looking around for someone who looked like he could be the innkeeper. Since the building also appeared to be a tavern, Yun-seong could feel people staring at him, or more specifically, the unconcious girl lying over his shoulder.

"Who's your friend, boy?" one man asked in a rasping voice, his words slurred together. Obviously this guy was highly intoxicated, and Yun-seong didn't like the way he was eyeing Cassandra.

"Fuck off," Yun-seong said, turning away from the man. The man grabbed Yun-seong by his not-Cassandra-occupied shoulder and pulled him back towards him, removing a leather pouch from his belt and emptying it on the counter, gold coins spilling generously.

Yun-seong knew he was staring, with his jaw dropped, and furiously forced his eyes away from the sparkling pile of gold. "What do you want?" he said, annoyed.

"You like this?" the man growled. "All this is yours, in exchange for your friend there. Sounds like a good deal, don't you think?"

Yun-seong looked down at Cassandra and scowled. She wasn't Mina, but she sure as hell wasn't a piece of chicken and he wasn't going to sell her off. "Go screw yourself," he scowled. "And get the hell out of my way!"

The man grabbed Yun-seong by his open collar and hoisted him up in the air so they were at eye contact. "Hand her over," the man growled. "What, you hoarding her for yourself? No snot-nosed punk like you deserves a girl like that. Drop the bitch and get out of here."

Yun-seong scowled and put Cassandra down on a nearby table. "I said no," Yun-seong repeated. "You want a fight? I'll give you a fight."

The man laughed, a heartless, cruel laugh. "So you think you stand a chance against me, little boy? Fine!" He toppled a table over, clearing some space. "Anytime you're ready!" he taunted, cracking his knuckles.

Yun-seong sized his opponent up quickly and grinned. "I'm not gonna let up for a second! You're goin' down!" The tavern was crowded with curious villagers, all eager to see what was going on, and Yun-seong smirked to himself. They want a show, I'll make sure they get one. Might even get to stay for free while I'm at it.

Remembering he was wounded already, Yun-seong considered drawing White Storm, but decided against it. This guy wasn't armed, and besides, he didn't need his sword to fight this guy. He'd beaten guys bigger than this before, when he was back home. He assumed a fighting stance and swung his right fist at the man, landing a punch to his abdomen.

The man yelled in anger and Yun-seong smirked, withdrawing his fist. He used to spar playfully with his friends, and sometimes Mina, back at the dojo, but getting into fights like this wasn't unusual for one as hot-headed as himself. Still, he wasn't worried. This guy was all bluff.

The large man didn't waste any time returning the favor, and aimed a punch at Yun-seong's face. Yun-seong dodged the blow by leaning backwards, landing on his ass, swearing angrily. "Damn!" he growled, ignoring the laughter of the spectators.

"Easy there!" yelled a drunk guy. "Don't kill the boy!"

"Shut up," Yun-seong snarled. "Wait a minute..." Yun-seong stopped to think for a second and smirked. For once, Yun-seong was grateful to be the smaller opponent. Keeping low to the ground, he swung his leg, sweeping the man's legs out from under him, causing him to crash to the ground.

"OW! You little BASTARD!!" The man snarled, struggling to stand back on his feet once more. "I'll snap your spine for that, boy!"

"Whatever," Yun-seong scoffed. "You can't beat me, not in a hundred years!"

"What'd you say to me, you cocky little shit!?" the man screamed, and lunged at Yun-seong. Yun-seong quickly side-stepped the man, clenched his hands together, raised his arms, and clobbered the man in the back of the head.

The man gasped silently, feeling the blow hit home. With a final grunt of pain, the comatose man sunk to his knees and collapsed to the ground.

For good riddance, Yun-seong kicked the man in the side, and turned to the awestruck crowd. "Oh, yeah! Anyone ELSE wanna mess with me!?" Yun-seong yelled, blowing on his fist as if it was a smoking gun.

The crowd looked astonished for another moment, and broke into a round of applause. Yun-seong was shocked, expecting everyone in the bar to get angry for beating the guy up, and felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Young man, we applaud your courage," an elderly man said kindly, smiling up at him. "That man, Nanbanfu, is a heartless man who preys upon the villgers. Until now, no one has had the courage to stand up to his cruel ways. We thank you, young master."

"Th-thanks," Yun-seong said, feeling happy and embarrassed. "Umm, I-"

The elderly man walked over to the man's pile of coins and swept them back into the leather pouch, presenting it to Yun-seong. "Please accept this money as a token of our appriciation, young man. We have but one spare room, but you may take up residence there as long as you'd like."

"Really? Thanks!" Yun-seong said, a smile spreading across his face. Free money and a free room? All because he beat up some creep? Who says nice guys finish last?

Oh yeah, Cassandra! He went back over to her and scooped her limp figure up again, hoisting her over his shoulder. He noticed one of the men at the counter staring.

"She's beautiful," the man commented. "With strength like yours and a girl like that, you're a lucky son of a gun! Is she yours?"

"What do you mean by mine? My girlfriend? Nah," Yun-seong said. "But you can't have her either."

"Aww, I know your type. Heartbreaker, right? How many girls did you leave behind in your hometown?" the man asked.

"Just one," Yun-seong said, thinking of Mina. "And she's coming after me." Well, not for the reason I want, but it's better than nothing. She was on her way to kick his ass for stealing the sword.

The elderly innkeeper approached him with a big smile and said, "We have a room ready for you, brave warrior."

"Thanks," Yun-seong said, the extra attention making him feel uncomfortable. Apparently that guy was something else... he never felt particularly heroic for stopping people who were causing trouble, but in this town, it seemed almost godly. Maybe it'd been a while since anyone helped them out.

Well, whatever. He followed the man down a hallway, coming to a door at the end. "I hope you find it suitable," the man said with a smile, and handed him the room key. Yun-seong opened the door and sighed with relief.

Two fluffy beds with thick blankets awaited. Yun-seong thanked the generous innkeeper and shut the door, dropping Cassandra down on a bed and throwing a blanket over her unconcious body.

"I so deserve this," Yun-seong said to himself happily. This is why helping people paid off. After enjoying a nice hot bath, (he pulled the blankets over Cassandra's head so she wouldn't get a free show if she woke up) Yun-seong climbed into the soft bed, and dozed off.

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Woohoo, Yun-seong finally kicks some ass. Cass wakes up next chapter. :D


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own Soul Calibur or Soul Edge. But if I did, I would harness their energy and rule the world! (just kidding) But seriously, if Soul Calibur was mine, all MINE, Yun-seong would so be nekkid. Or at least in his underwear. Heheheh. And hell, while I'm at it, so would Siegfried. D

Woohoo for me, Chapter 4. Yes, I know the story is going at a remarkably slow rate, but it'll pick up once they leave the inn and set off on their Soul Edge journey. (Happens this chapter. :D)

And we get some mention of Yun-seong/Mina in this chapter! Hooray, unless you detest Yun-seong/Mina, and in that case, RUN!

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To avoid beating around the bush, the lazy author/narrarator skipped to the point. Cassandra woke up, finding herself in a soft bed, in a room she didn't remember entering.

"Whoa! Where am I?" she asked, looking around the room. "Am I home?" Was it possible that she had dreamed the whole thing? Soul Edge? Yun-seong? Getting impaled with a sword?

Well, she wasn't home. Her things weren't in here, and the architecture was all wrong. She tried to sit up and winced, her movement restricted by the tight bandages tied across her chest. And unless dream wounds were real wounds, she wasn't dreaming, either.

She looked at her bloodstained front and winced again, trying to remember the events of the previous night... she heard a strange noise and looked down at the ground.

And judging by the snoring young man cuddling with his pillow in the bed parallel to hers, she hadn't dreamed Yun-seong up, either. She glanced down at him and fought back a smile. Cocky, arrogant, conceited, but he looked like the picture of innocence when he was asleep. Go figure.

Too bad she was going to have to wake him up... for one, where the hell were they? All she remembered of the previous night was fighting Yun-seong and being wounded, before she blacked out.

"C'mon, Yun-seong, get up," Cassandra grumbled.

Yun-seong groaned and withdrew his face from his pillow to mumble something that sounded like "Meee...nuhh..." before burying his face in the pillow once more.

Cassandra stiffled a giggle and decided to take a quick bath before he woke up. Looked like he was having a nice sleep...

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_"Yun-seong!! I finally found you!!"_

_Mina. Mina was coming towards him, her arms open wide and a smile across her face. "Yun-seong! There you are!" She sunk down next to him and wrapped her arms around him tightly. "I missed you..."_

_"Mina, I missed you too, so much," Yun-seong whispered, hugging her to him. Mina's arms held him tightly to her, and she drew back, cupping his face in her hands._

_"Yun-seong... why'd you ever leave without me? I love you," she whispered, and leaned forward, pressing her lips to his in a soft kiss, taking his breath away. Mina's fingers gently twined in his hair and she pulled his face closer to hers._

_"Mina... I love you too," Yun-seong gasped, delirious with happiness. "Oh, Mina..." Mina smiled and kissed him again, running her fingers through his red hair._

_Yun-seong felt weak with joy as Mina's kiss continued, her lips pressed against his own. She once more pulled away from him, her soft breath on his neck and her slender arms wrapped around his back..._

_"Oh, Yun-seong," Mina sighed, cuddling up next to him. "I was such an idiot for loving Hwang instead you at first... you really are so much stronger, braver, better looking than Hwang could ever be... can you forgive me for being so stupid?"_

_"Of course I do, Mina," Yun-seong said, his chest tightening as she cuddled closer to him. "Hwang's a gay-assed fucker. I don't know why you didn't realize how great I am sooner. But it's okay. Can I kiss you again? I like that."_

_Mina giggled and moved closer to him. Yun-seong leaned closer to her, but before he could kiss her, Mina sat up._

_"Yun-seong, wake up!" she said._

_"Huh? I'm not dreaming!" Yun-seong protested._

_"Get up! Right now!" Mina ordered._

"Noo.. Mina.. I'm awake! I'm awake!! Aah... Awww, man!!" Yun-seong groaned and opened his eyes, looking at Cassandra, who was watching him with an amused look on her face.

"Good dream?" Cassandra giggled.

"Shut up! What's going on?" he asked, rolling off the bed and onto his feet.

"It's morning! Rise and shine!" Cassandra replied, wobbling to her feet. She managed to stand up again, and collapsed back on top of the bed, wincing in pain. "Where are we?"

"Didn't know, didn't care," Yun-seong said, stretching his limbs and pulling his green tunic back on, not bothering to close his shirt up to show off his chest muscles. "It was late, you were out cold, and this was the first place I found. Plus, it's free."

"Well, works for me," Cassandra said. "Thanks for helping me back there."

"No problem, considering I'm the one who did it to you," Yun-seong said. "Want to tell me WHY you attacked me?"

"I'm sorry. But I can't let anyone abuse that sword," Cassandra said. "I promised my sister I'd destroy it."

"Why can't your sister just do it?" Yun-seong asked, strapping his sandals back on his feet.

"Because she's got two little children, and they're infected with the energy of Soul Edge," Cassandra said. "My sister's home in Greece, but I promised her I'd take care of the sword myself. I really need to find and destroy it soon, she's probably worried about me..."

"I just want the sword so I can show everyone back home what I'm capable of," Yun-seong said. "But if I can rid the world from evil while I'm at it, I might as well do that too."

"Where've you traveled so far?" Cassandra asked.

"Pretty much all over Asia," Yun-seong said. "I told you I'm from Korea, and I took a ship from there to here a few months ago. But so far, no luck. I've learned some more information, heard some rumors, and the only piece of Soul Edge I was able to track down must have gotten taken by those crazy ninjas before I could get to it."

"I just want to go home, but I've gotta see this thing through to the end," Cassandra said. "I thought you were going to get in my way, so I attacked you. ...I'm really sorry."

"Don't worry about it! It was fun while it lasted! Sorry I almost killed you," Yun-seong said. "What do you say to maybe traveling together? We'd make better progress with two people then one, and it'd be more fun."

Cassandra thought about it for a second, looking the cheerful young man up and down. Aside from nearly killing her, Yun-seong seemed to be a good guy. The only reason he injured her in the first place was because she had attacked him, and he brought her here so she could recover. Plus, he was strong, and she could always use a little extra protection, right?

Reaching her decision, Cassandra smiled. "Okay! Good idea! But first, before we go anywhere, we're going to need to get some supplies... thanks to a certain SOMEONE, I'm out of food, and I don't suppose you have any?"

"Nope, I ate all my food a while ago," Yun-seong said.

Cassandra rolled her eyes. "Alright, then we'd better buy MORE food," she said. "Aaah!" she yelped, losing her balance and stumbling into a wall.

"Haha, you look like an idiot!" Yun-seong laughed, and earned a hearty smack on the back of his head with Cassandra's bright pink shield. "Oww! Why'd you do that?? I was kidding!"

"Well it wasn't funny!" Cassandra replied, as she picked up her weapon and shield. She glanced down at her clothes and groaned. "AARGH! These got wrecked too!" she grumbled. "This is the third set of clothes I've gone through!"

Yun-seong rolled his eyes. "Who cares? They're just clothes," he pointed out. "I wear the same stuff every day."

"You're right, it's not really important... anyway, let's go!" Cassandra agreed, turning to Yun-seong.

"Oh yeah, that reminds me! When you were out cold yesterday, the innkeeper said we could stay and eat here for free! So we get free food!" Yun-seong said, deciding not to go into details.

"D'you know why?" Cassandra asked.

"Umm... because I'm his millionth customer!" Yun-seong lied.

"Really!? Yun-seong, that's great!" Cassandra said excitedly. "Let's just hope the food's good!"

She left the room, and Yun-seong stopped to think for a second. "I think he said free food... hmmm..." He scratched his head thoughtfully. "Oh well. I'm the hero, after all." He left the room and headed after Cassandra.

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A free, all-you-can-eat meal and a good night's sleep was all it took to get Yun-seong and Cassandra back on their feet, and after thanking the kind innkeeper several times, they left the inn with a bag full of supplies, walking through the village.

"How's your stomach?" Yun-seong asked, implying to Cassandra's wound from yesterday afternoon.

"Getting better," Cassandra said, wincing slightly. "How's your arm?"

"Fine," Yun-seong said. "I don't even feel it anymore, it's like it wasn't wounded in the first place."

"Well, that's good," Cassandra said. "So, um, back to Soul Edge, what're we going to do?"

"I dunno," Yun-seong said. "I don't know anything, remember? I told you that."

"Oh, right, I almost forgot," Cassandra said. "Where you want to go?"

"I dunno," Yun-seong said again, scratching his head and wincing in pain as he did so. "OW. I don't even know what country we're in."

"Well, let's ask someone," Cassandra said. "HEY! YOU!" she yelled, turning to some guy walking by.

The guy panicked. "WHAT!? What do you want with me!? I don't have any money! DON'T HURT ME!" he screamed, throwing himself at Cassandra's feet and cowering in fear.

"Huh? I'm not going to hurt you!" Cassandra said, confused.

"You're holding a sword. What's he supposed to think?" Yun-seong pointed out, and crouched down towards the trembling man. "Look, can you just tell us where we are?"

"Oh, I see, you must be travelers? Well, let's see... I think we're in northwest Europe, unless they've changed the maps again," the guy said, rubbing his head thoughtfully. "Hmmm... by any chance are you two searching for that sword? I've been hearing rumors about it nonstop! That's all anyone is talking about anymore!"

"Sword? Sword! What sword? Tell us everything you know!" Yun-seong said, raising his own sword threateningly at the poor man.

"AAH!! Don't hurt me! I have eight kids!" the man squealed.

Yun-seong stopped. "Whoa! Eight kids? Eww," he said, making a face.

"Yun-seong, put the weapon down! Sir, please, tell us what you know," Cassandra said, glaring at Yun-seong.

The man looked relieved and nodded. "Well, the other day I overheard these two travelers, around your ages, talking about an evil sword, and something about an Azure Knight. That was really all I heard of that one. But today, my wife told me that a kingdom in northern Romania had been put under siege single-handedly, by a man wielding a rapier."

"Rapier?" Cassandra asked. "What's that?"

"It's a one-handed sword, mostly used for stabbing," Yun-seong replied. "Mostly used by nobles and people who don't like getting their hands dirty. Y'know, sissy men."

"Excuse me! I happen to be a master of the rapier!" the man said, offended.

"It figures," Yun-seong muttered, and Cassandra elbowed him in the ribs. "I mean, uh, sorry."

She turned back to the guy. "Anything else?"

"No, that's all I know," the man said apologetically. "Well, I'd better be going. Best of luck!" He then ran off.

"What a sissy," Yun-seong commented.

"No kidding," Cassandra said dryly. "Well, we learned some information. I think our first priority should be to gather some information about Soul Edge, and this "Azure Knight", before we actually do any fighting."

Yun-seong yawned. "Whatever. I don't care what we do, as long as I get to fight!"

"Well, in that case, I say we head to Romania, and see what's up with that city under siege," Cassandra said. "That OK with you?"

"OK," Yun-seong said. "But I get to fight whoever's doing it!"

"Hey, that's not fair," Cassandra complained. "I want to fight too!"

Yun-seong scowled. "Whoever sees him first gets to kill him, then. Deal?"

"Deal," Cassandra sighed. Yun-seong nodded, then proceeded to spit on his hand. He then held it out to her.

"C'mon, shake on it!" Yun-seong said, gesturing to his hand.

"You just spit on that hand," Cassandra said. "I'm supposed to shake it?"

"Hence the term "spit shake"," Yun-seong said. "What, you don't spit shake in Greece?"

"Uh, no," Cassandra said. "But I'm open to trying new things, so why not?" She pulled her glove off, and reluctantly spit on her own hand, proceeding to shake Yun-seong's.

"Oh, and just so you know, spit shakes are equivalent to a blood oath, so no backing down," Yun-seong said, wiping his own hand on his shorts.

"Alright, now that that's over with, let's head to Romania," Cassandra said. "Only problem is, I don't know WHERE Romania is! Do you?"

"Nope," Yun-seong said cheerfully. "But that's what makes it fun, right? C'mon, let's go ask someone!" He turned and ran off, and Cassandra watched him go.

"What have I gotten myself into?" she wondered. It wasn't too late to run away in the opposite direction and leave Yun-seong behind, but she didn't want to hurt his feelings. Although he was a little... unusual, he was a cheerful guy and she figured it'd be fun.

Besides, they spit shook. With a reluctant smile, Cassandra chased after her crazy new travel partner, wondering what could possibly go wrong.

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Bwahaha. Now tell me how great I am in a review. :) Please.

Oh and everyone who put this story on their Story Alert- THANK YOU:D I have no idea what Story Alert does, but I think it's a good thing, so THANKS!


	5. Chapter 5

Maaan, this stupid ass thing's going too SLOW, it's getting on my NERVES... I would make the chapters longer, therefore getting to the interesting parts of the damn story QUICKER, but then people bitch at me... "omG ur storys 2 longg..." because apparently people have the reading comprehension skills of a second grader these days.

Arrgh. Sorry, just annoyed. :P Enjoy, the good stuff starts to happen NEXT chapter. Oh wait I said that LAST chapter about THIS chapter. Damn. I suck.

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Apparently, a lot could go wrong. Yun-seong had wound up at a ferry harbor, and had gotten into an argument with the ferryman, who refused to ferry him and Cassandra all the way to Romania for thirty gold pieces, which was all Yun-seong had won from his psudeo-duel last night.

"Cassandra, d'you have any money?" Yun-seong asked, noticing Cassandra show up.

"Of course I don't, I told you that," Cassandra said. "Why?"

"This cheap BASTARD here can ferry us to Romania, but he won't do it for less than 3000 gold, and that's way more gold than I have," Yun-seong complained, glaring at the ferryman.

"C'mon, have mercy on travelers," Cassandra said, turning to the ferryman. "We're desperate! Please take us to Romania!"

The ferryman seemed to think it over, looked Cassandra up and down, and smiled. "Alright then. I'll take the two of you to Romania, but in exchange, I want something in return. Sound fair?"

"That depends, what do you want in return?" Yun-seong demanded, not tearing his eyes away from the boat, apparently trying to figure out a way to hijack it.

"Nothing unreasonable. What do you say, miss? I'll take you and your friend to Romania, free of charge, and all I ask in return is your cute little butt in my bed later. What do you say?" the ferryman asked, winking at Cassandra and taking hold of her arm.

"Excuse me?" Cassandra said, giving the man a disgusted look. "Eww. You're definitely not my type." She pulled her arm from the ferryman's grip and punched him. In the nose. There was a crunch.

Judging by the blood squirt from the man's nose, she had hit him pretty hard. "You little wench! Look what you did to me!" the ferryman yelled, swinging at Cassandra angrily.

Cassandra just laughed. "You have to learn things the hard way, don't you?" She kicked the guy in the ribs, sending him flying off the dock into the water with a splash. She smiled. "And that's the lesson for today!"

"You don't mind if we borrow your ship, do we?" she called, at the angry, sputtering ferryman as he surfaced. The ferryman let out a stream of curse words and other things much too inappropriate to be included in a PG-13 rated story, and Cassandra just laughed and turned back to Yun-seong. "I'll take that as a yes," she said.

"Huh? Oh, hey, you beat that guy up," Yun-seong said. "Nice one. I'm impressed."

"Thanks for your help," Cassandra added sarcastically.

"You did fine by yourself!" Yun-seong said defensively.

"I'm just kidding," Cassandra laughed.

"Oh," Yun-seong said. "Well, I guess we should take this guy's ship. It sure as hell's not like he'll be using it for a while."

"Works for me," Cassandra said. "And look! He left us all his maps and diagrams to get to everywhere, particularly Romania! How nice of him!"

"Not to mention more gold than I've ever seen in my life," Yun-seong said, looking underneath one of the benches in the wooden ferry and discovering a bag of gold larger than his head. "What'd this guy do, rob a bank? Come on, get in!"

"Shouldn't we hire someone else to take us over?" Cassandra asked. "I don't know how to pilot a boat."

"Don't worry about it," Yun-seong said. "How hard can it be? I've seen people do it all the time!"

"You sure about that?" Cassandra asked skeptically. Although he was friendly enough, Cassandra got the feeling that Yun-seong was dumber than a bag of rocks. "Ah, what the hell." She climbed aboard the boat. "Well, what're you waiting for? Let's go!"

"Shut up, don't rush me! Romania's not going anywhere, we've got time!" Yun-seong complained. After spending about 10 minutes studying the steering mechanisms of the ferry, he finally let out a sigh of despair. "Alright, I don't know how to steer this stupid thing. Let's hire someone."

"I told you," Cassandra said.

"Oh shut up! Like you know everything!" Yun-seong snapped. "Why don't YOU find a way to get us to Romania then?"

"Fine," Cassandra said, hopping out of the boat and walking over to a young fisherman, fixing some fishing equipment, for lack of a better, more specific term. "Umm, excuse me," she said innocently, batting her eyelashes. "Can you take us to Romania, please?"

The fisherman looked flustered and nodded a couple times. "O-of course! I wouldn't disappoint a pretty lady such as yourself, miss," he said, dropping whatever he was holding on his foot. "Ow!"

"Thank you very much," Cassandra said, still using her I'm-so-sweet-and-innocent voice. The minute the fisherman turned around, she stuck her tongue out at Yun-seong, who rolled his eyes.

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"Here we are, southern of the Carpathian Mountains," the fisherman said cheerfully. "If you two keep along this mountain pass, you'll be in Romania in no time."

"WHAT!? MOUNTAIN PASS!? We have to WALK the rest of the way!?" Yun-seong whined. Cassandra elbowed him to keep him quiet and turned to the fisherman.

"He means, thank you," she said, glaring at Yun-seong. "So, how much do we owe you? We can't just not pay you..."

The fisherman, remembering the large sack of gold the former owner of the ship Yun-seong and Cassandra hijacked once owned, smirked. "Well, what say you two to about... 760,000 gold?"

"WHAT!? WE DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF GOLD!!" Cassandra screamed.

"Uh, Cassandra, if I could make a point... we're already IN Romania, this guy's done his job," Yun-seong suggested.

"So?" Cassandra asked.

"So, grab the gold and RUN FOR IT!!" Yun-seong yelled, diving towards the boat and retrieving the bag of gold, only to be whacked on the head with the wooden oar.

"OW! Cassandra, what'd you do that for?" Yun-seong complained.

"I didn't!" Cassandra protested. "He did!"

As you might have expected, the fisherman got violent and tried to kill Yun-seong with the wooden oar. Unfortunately for him, Yun-seong and White Storm were more than a match for a termite-infested galley oar, and fended the guy off quite easily. The poor fisherman ran off with an oar lodged in his pants, screaming for mercy.

"Man, people are annoying," Yun-seong commented. "Well, let's go, we've got a long way to go."

"Yeah," Cassandra agreed. "Any idea where we're going?"

Yun-seong looked around and shrugged. "Fuck no. Let's just wing it."

"Wing it?" Cassandra asked. Reluctantly, and finding no other way, she groaned. "Looks like we're winging it."

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After a long journey through the Carpathian Mountains, they could finally see a large mountain top in the distance, with a large castle perched on top. The castle seemed to be radiating with evil energy.

Yun-seong froze in the middle of the way, and Cassandra walked smack into him.

"Ow!" she complained. "What's wrong?"

"Uh, Cassandra?" Yun-seong asked. "Is it me, or is this place totally evil?"

"It's definitely evil," Cassandra agreed. "But we've come too far to stop here. Soul Edge might be here!"

"Hey, you won't see me complainin'! Let's go kick some ass!" Yun-seong cheered.

They began descending down the mountain slope and arrived at the outskirts of the town covered with evil energy. Yun-seong and Cassandra looked around, and realized the city wasn't just contaminated, but whatever as spreading through the town was affecting the city folk. The habitants were also contaminated and their minds seemed to be lost.

"How come all these people look like killer demon zombies?" Yun-seong asked, looking nervous. "Is this what Soul Edge does to people?"

Cassandra looked just as nervous. "I don't know," she admitted. "But whatever's going on here, we're not affected, are we? We've gotta help these people!"

This place was worse than the rumors stated. There were no homes; just tents, with flags flying from the tops. Thousands of demonic zombies, as Yun-seong accurately described, were dragging about the area. Their flesh was gray and ashy, their eyes were transparent, aside from red pupils, and to Cassandra, the place looked like a living hell.

"This is bad," Yun-seong commented, looking around. "C'mon... let's find out who's behind this..."

Cassandra nodded and the two began their infiltration of the area. The demon-people weren't just horrifying to look at; they had been transformed into beings of pure evil. Luckily the people weren't strong, just evil, so they posed almost no threat to Yun-seong and Cassandra.

"They've been contaminated by all this evil energy!" Cassandra said, fending off a demon-man with her shield.

"But why aren't we being affected?" Yun-seong wanted to know, while a zombie girl tried to rip his head off.

"I don't know, but I'm glad we aren't!" Cassandra said. "We've gotta find out what's going on! It's gotta be Soul Edge!"

"No way! You think Soul Edge is out here?" Yun-seong asked.

"Well, what ELSE could be causing this kind of evil mutation in these poor people?" Cassandra asked. "If you've got a better theory, tell me!"

"I DON'T have a better theory. Yours just sucks," Yun-seong said.

Cassandra opened her mouth to reply, but froze. "Yun-seong! Look!" she said, pointing.

"Huh? What?" Yun-seong asked.

"Look! Those soldiers! And those siege weapons! They're headed towards that creepy looking castle!" Cassandra cried, pointing. "So I've GOTTA be right! Whatever's causing this evil infection's gotta be coming from the castle!"

"Want to ask a commander what's going on?" Yun-seong suggested. "If they're leading this attack they've gotta know who's responsible!"

"Good idea!" Cassandra agreed, and the two headed inside the army's ranks. Since no sane person was going to attack a young man carrying a sword and a girl carrying a sword and a shield, Yun-seong and Cassandra were able to locate the commander without much difficulty.

"I think that's the commander," Yun-seong said, poking Cassandra in the arm. "See? He's dressed different than everyone else!"

"Sounds good to me. Now how do we get his attention?" Cassandra asked, but Yun-seong was already jumping up and down, waving his arms and yelling, "HEY!! COMMANDER!! OVER HERE!!"

Cassandra resisted the urge to grab Yun-seong by his throat and strangle him. Why she didn't see that coming, she didn't know...

Anyway, the commander noticed the two of them, and approached them, his hand on his sword. "Can I help you two?" he asked, although his expression clearly stated they weren't welcome.

Yun-seong opened his mouth to speak, but Cassandra quickly elbowed him in the ribs to keep him from saying anything stupid and spoke. "Excuse me, sir, but we're..." Saying "two kids who want to destroy a evil sword" didn't sound too professional.

"We're here to investigate what's going on around here," Yun-seong interrupted, ignoring Cassandra. "I'm from Korea, and she's from Greece. We're the best warriors from our countries, and we've been sent to help the Grand Army eliminate the evil energy around here."

Cassandra had to admit, it was a pretty good bluff. The commander also seemed to have bought it, and smiled. "Alright then! If you two've been sent by your countries to help us out, then I suppose we should let you know what's going on."

"We're the army of the Duchy of Walachia, and we've been sent to surround this evil castle here. You see, a contagious disease with mysterious symptoms has been spreading like crazy from beneath this here castle, and we've been ordered to destroy it at the source," the commander explained. "I think you kids can help us here."

"Really? How?" Yun-seong asked eagerly.

"You two can infiltrate the castle and find out what's going on in there! Find a way for our armies to get in, and we'll take care of the rest!" the commander said.

"WHAT!?" Cassandra yelled angrily, but Yun-seong put his hand over her mouth to shut her up and nodded. "Sure! OK! We'll get on it right away!" he said.

Cassandra angrily tried to pry Yun-seong off her, but he was stronger than she was, and was forced to stay quiet. When the commander showed Yun-seong a way to sneak into the castle, the army mobilized to the other side, leaving Yun-seong and Cassandra alone again.

Cassandra kicked Yun-seong in the leg, trying to make him let go, and Yun-seong yelped in pain. "OUCH! What was THAT FOR!?" Yun-seong yelled angrily.

"Because that guy just tricked you!" Cassandra growled. "You just volunteered us both for some suicidal, kamikaze mission! That guy wants us to die out there!"

"Oh," Yun-seong said. "Well, then let's prove 'em wrong! C'mon, Cassandra!" He charged ahead inside the secret entrance, and a protesting Cassandra followed him.

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And there we go, leaving off at a part that will eventually turn into something mildly interesting. :P Raphi shows up next chapter, and OMGWTF there's actually some of the ACTION I promised!! OMG!!

Yeah I definitely lied when I said Siegfried would be around Chapter 6, because this IS Chapter 6, (or 5, I'm not sure) but he'll probably show up around Chapter 8. Then the action will pick up a wee bit.

And while we're at it, tell me what characters you want to see pop in this thing. Most of them will show up eventually, but just for the hell of it, I'd like to know for maybe future reference.


	6. Chapter 6

Yes, another update! ;) Raphael shows up here.

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The journey through the castle wasn't too bad, and around the third or fourth floor, Cassandra discovered what appeared to be a library completely dedicated to Soul Edge.

"Yun-seong! Wait up! Look at this!" Cassandra said. "This guy, Raphael… it seems he and his daughter, Amy, have both been infected with evil energy from Soul Edge!"

Yun-seong took the book from Cassandra and flipped back a couple pages. "Look for how he got infected, then we can reverse it," he said. "Right there! Uh… blah blah blah, Ostrheinsburg Castle!! Look! He's talking about how he found Soul Edge's wielder, Nightmare!" He looked up and scowled. "Hey! Pay attention!" he said to Cassandra.

"I am, I am! I'm just looking for anything else that could be useful!" Cassandra said.

"Fine. Alright, it looks like Raphael squared off against Nightmare, and he got his ass kicked. But before Nightmare killed him, he went crazy and started struggling, like he was possessed or something. Then Nightmare kinda just died right there, and this confused guy was left. He didn't even see Raphael there, he just started tearing off his azure armor and started smashing it," Yun-seong read, and put the book imprinted with the words "Raphi's Diary" on it down.

"Sounds like this Raphael witnessed Nightmare's death," Cassandra said. "But that doesn't make sense! We've been hearing all kinds of rumors about the azure knight! Who else would it be?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Yun-seong said with a shrug. "Says nothing about how he got infected. But I think if we can find this Raphael, we can get some answers from him. C'mon, let's get going.

Cassandra nodded and the two left the library. Neither one of them realized, however, that Raphael WAS the man spreading the evils of Soul Edge throughout this small town…

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"Cassandra, c'mon, before this guy infects the entire city!" Yun-seong complained, as he and Cassandra made their way through the inside of the castle.

"Shut up, I'm going as fast as I can," Cassandra snapped.

"Wonder what kind of evil freak show we're dealing with," Yun-seong said.

"We might be dealing with the Azure Knight, so stay on your guard," Cassandra said. "What if it really IS the Azure Knight doing all this?"

"Then we kick his ass, of course," Yun-seong said. "C'mon, Cass, don't freak out about the Azure Knight. OK, he's got a big sword. So freaking what. And sure, he'll eat your soul for breakfast. Fine. Nothing to be scared of, right?"

"That's a LOT to be scared of! And don't call me Cass!! I hate it when people call me that!!" Cassandra complained.

"Why not? Cassandra's a lot to say!" Yun-seong complained.

(AN: It's a lot to TYPE too!!!!!)

"Ugghhh!! Fine, whatever. Let's just keep going, alright?" Cassandra said.

"Fine by me. But if it's the Azure Knight up there, I get to kick his ass!"

"Do I get to kick YOURS?"

"You're in a bad mood."

"Oh, SHUT UP!!"

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Upon reaching what appeared to be the near-top of the castle, Yun-seong stopped in his place, and Cassandra, not watching him, walked right into his back, again.

"Oww!! Start watching where you're going!!" Yun-seong said. "And look outside!"

The window was open, and outside, the sky was a dark, reddish-purplish color. "Definitely a bad sign," Cassandra agreed.

"Definitely Soul Edge," Yun-seong corrected. "C'mon, let's get going..."

They continued up the flight of stairs, finally arriving at what seemed to be the top of the castle.

"Damn! Dead end!" Yun-seong swore.

Cassandra looked around and yelled, "Door! Right there!"

"Door? Where!?" Yun-seong asked, turning to where Cassandra pointed. "YA-HAH!" He charged the door, hi-jump kicked it, and the impact cracked the door in two parts.

"C'mon! We're close!" Yun-seong yelled to Cassandra. Cassandra nodded and the two ran through the broken door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Whoa! We're outside!" Yun-seong said, poking his head outside the open doors beyond the one he smashed.

"Unbelievable! Look at this place! It's pure evil!" Cassandra said, coming outside right behind him. "Whatever we're dealing with, it's close, so be on your guard!"

"I know that," Yun-seong complained. "Hey, what up with your shield?"

"What about it-- WHAT THE HELL!?" Cassandra cried, watching in horror as a giant crack split through her shield.

"Must be crappy metal or something," Yun-seong said, watching in mild interest.

"This is holy ore! It's not crappy metal!" Cassandra protested.

"Well, whatever. Your sword's OK, right? C'mon, swing at me."

Cassandra swung the sword at Yun-seong, who blocked. The smaller sword collided with White Storm, and the blade broke clean off.

"Whoa! Man, did you get gypped!" Yun-seong said, watching the sword die, for lack of a better word.

"AAAH!! What am I going to do!? These aren't mine!!" Cassandra panicked.

"More importantly, how are you gonna protect yourself? I have to worry about my own ass!" Yun-seong said, staring at the ruined weapons.

"Who's there!" boomed a voice from around the side of the castle wall.

Yun-seong and Cassandra exchanged helpless looks. Cassandra couldn't defend herself, obviously, and Yun-seong was now hoping to God he could take care of Nightmare, if this was who it was.

Yun-seong took a breath and charged around the castle wall, brandishing White Storm. "HA-HAA! C'mon! You ready to go down!?" he screamed.

Cassandra groaned. They were doomed.

"Huh? Where the hell'd he go?!" Yun-seong asked, looking around.

"He's a 6-foot-tall giant in azure armor. He's not too hard to lose!" Cassandra said, looking around nervously.

"Ha ha ha! Look at you! You're shaking!" Yun-seong laughed, noticing Cassandra looked worried.

"Shut up! You'd be scared too if your only hope to live was an egotistical idiot with a sword he can barely use!" Cassandra snapped angrily.

Yun-seong's smile fell off his face. "Shut up! At least I have a weapon!"

Cassandra rolled her eyes. "We'll continue this argument AFTER you kill the Azure Knight! Now go!"

"Don't tell me what to do!" Yun-seong said, but he was interrupted by the sudden feeling of a sharp, pointy sword stabbing him in the back.

"OW!" Yun-seong screamed, and turned around to see a tall man, with slicked back blonde hair and a maliciously happy expression. (AN: IDK what it means, don't ask me)

"Aha! So YOU'RE the riff-raff maligning my castle!" the man said, drawing his thin, pointed sword.

"I don't know WHAT you just said, but it sure as hell pissed me off! Let's go!" Yun-seong yelled, drawing White Storm. "I'm not letting no cape-wearing sissy man tell ME what to do!"

"Hang on a second," Cassandra interrupted. "So YOU'RE the idiot terrorizing this village?"

"Why, indeed I am, although I don't appreciate the use of the term idiot," the man said, tossing his head arrogantly. "While we're on the subject, my dear, may I ask why you and your friend are here?"

"We're here to stop you, and to help these poor people!" Cassandra declared, but Yun-seong stopped her from saying anything else.

"Oh, no we're not! We're also here to beat the evil outta your ass! I dunno where you're hiding Soul Edge, pal, but you're goin' down! Sheeeyy-AAAHHH!!" Yun-seong charged the man, swinging White Storm maniacally, but the man blocked him with the thin sword, then proceeded to kick Yun-seong in the chest, causing him to fall over on his back.

"Hey! That was a cheap shot!" Yun-seong grunted, struggling to get up.

"Cheap shot? What do you expect? I'm an evil person! Now stay down there and grovel! I might have mercy on you!" the man ordered.

Yun-seong snorted. "Yeah, like I'm gonna take orders from you! Kiss my ass, loser!" He turned around and faced Cassandra. "Cas, we're wasting our time. Let's get outta here."

With almost inhuman speed, the man was instantly in front of Yun-seong, blocking his escape. "I don't think so," he said. "Now fight me like a man! En garde!"

"Pfft! You want a fight? I'll give you a fight!" Yun-seong said, leaning down and stretching his legs out. "Ha! Bring it on, sissy- WHOA!" he yelped, blocking the man's parry thrust.

"Hey! You're not bad!" Yun-seong scowled. "But I'm not going down that easily! EAT WHITE STORM!"

Cassandra watched as the fight continued, furious at the world for her weapon's failure. Holy ore wasn't supposed to shatter like glass. Either Rothion gave her a cheap knockoff, or Soul Edge was much, much more powerful than she ever could have imagined.

Yun-seong seemed to be doing a good enough job holding the crazed, demonic man off, and finally the man held his rapier up and scowled. "You have bested me, my young opponent. However, that certainly doesn't mean I lose!" Once again demonstrating his inhuman speed, the man zipped behind Yun-seong and instantly had him in a grapple hold.

"Ugh! Wh-what're you doing!?" Yun-seong yelled, trying to struggle.

Cassandra looked around desperately for something to use as a weapon. This guy wasn't human. He could kill Yun-seong if she didn't act fast.

"C-Cassandra!" Yun-seong cried out in pain. "Help! He's killing me!"

"That's it, go ahead and struggle," the man said casually. "It'll all be over sooner or later."

Cassandra snatched up her cracked shield, ran behind the man holding Yun-seong, and whacked him on the back of the head with it. The man yelled in pain and threw Yun-seong to the ground ("Ow!") and turned around.

Cassandra stared at the two halves of sacred shield in her hands. "Oh, no, Hephaestus is gonna kill me!" she whined.

"You! You sneaky little girl!" the man yelled angrily, rearing on the now defenseless Cassandra.

"Oh, great. Ummm… come and get me!" Cassandra yelled, dodging the now enraged man's attack.

Yun-seong sat up with a groan and looked up. "Aw, shoot, hang on, Cassandra!" he yelled, and got back up again, tackling the evil man into the ground.

"Oof! Barbarian!" the man growled, pinned underneath Yun-seong's foot.

"HAH! We're not letting you outta here until you answer us some questions!" Yun-seong laughed, enjoying the man's torment. However, the man wasn't going to lie around like a dog and be interrogated. Reaching up with his rapier, he stabbed Yun-seong in his inner thigh (Yun-seong screamed in pain and jumped off) and hopped up.

"Fools! That'll teach you to mess with Lord Raphael!" the self-proclaimed Lord Raphael declared. "Perhaps we shall meet again!" He dove off the ledge of the castle and disappeared.

"Yun-seong!! Are you alright?" Cassandra asked, racing over to him.

"Owww... I'll live, but if he hit a little more to the left, we'd have a big problem," Yun-seong groaned. "Oww… but I'm not bleeding or anything. Stupid bastard, stabbing me in the--"

"Whoa there, I don't want to hear ANYTHING ELSE," Cassandra said, covering her ears. "Hey, look!" She pointed to the sky, which was miraculously clearing back from evil purple to a sky blue.

"I have to say, I liked the evil better," Yun-seong said. "But it's good these crazy people'll go back to normal, right?"

"As long as we don't have to help them with reconstruction, it's a good thing," Cassandra agreed.

"What're you gonna do about your weapons, Cass? You kinda need 'em to fight," Yun-seong said.

"Yeah, I know. Umm, I know this'll be kind of an extreme detour, but would you be OK with heading back to Greece for a few days? I really need to get my weapons fixed, and my brother-in-law's a blacksmith," Cassandra said.

"Fine by me," Yun-seong said. "I can use a break from all the Soul Edge stuff."

"Really? OK then!" Cassandra said happily. "Romania's not too far from Greece, if we hustle, we'll be there in a few hours!"

(AN: I know time flies unrealistically in the Soul Calibur world. It is physically impossible for a human being to walk from Romania to Greece in a few hours, but for the sake of the story, bear with me.)

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I don't care about typos or any other errors I've made, I'll fix them later when I have a copy of Harry Potter 7 in my hands and I've read the entire book cover to cover. It's a miracle I've gotten on the Internet at all, with those god damn spoilers floating around, it's not safe for a Potter fanatic to be online. Oo I've already sworn to beat the hell out of anyone who blows the book for me, and then I'm going Avada Kedavra on their sorry ass, JUST BECAUSE I CAN!! Haha.

I don't know what that has to do with Soul Calibur, but whatever. :D


	7. Chapter 7

Wow. It's been a while, hasn't it? I don't remember. Yeah, sorry this took forever and a day to update, and I'd love to use the "OMG HARRY POTTER SEVEN" excuse, but... nah, I finished the book in one night. :P This chapter's pretty boring action-wise, no killing or anything.

Here we gooooo...

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"Holy crap! Look at this place!" Yun-seong yelled. "Everything's so… so FANCY!"

"Fancy? How so?" Cassandra asked, as they walked through the Greek streets. "My house is only a few blocks away, be patient," she said.

"As long as you've got food," Yun-seong said, hungry as always. (You would be too if you just walked from Romania to Greece in a couple of hours.)

"Alright, here we are, my house!" Cassandra said happily. She opened the door and went inside. "Mom? Dad? Lucius? Anyone home?" she called.

Yun-seong was still standing on the front porch, looking deathly out of place in the pretty, well-kept village. Cassandra looked at him and fought back a laugh. "Yun-seong, you can come in, you don't have to stand there like an idiot," she said.

"Oh, OK," Yun-seong said, sounding relieved. They both came inside, Yun-seong immediately scouting the area for food.

"Yun-seong, I know what you're thinking. There's food everywhere, and the bathroom is second door to your left," Cassandra called. "Dad? Mom?"

Yun-seong had already sniffed his way to the kitchen, where he was devouring everything in sight. "Yun-seong, are you in here?" Cassandra yelled, sounding nearby.

Shoot. In a feeble attempt to hide the fact that he just ate half the food in the house in less than five minutes, Yun-seong frantically stuffed some of the food in his mouth. Reluctantly, he hid a loaf of bread in his shorts, but decided even he wouldn't eat anything that came from down there.

"Yun-seong? Oh, there you are!" Cassandra said. "I don't think anyone's home, we might have to head over to my sister's house."

"Aww, c'mon!! I'm still hungry!" Yun-seong whined.

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Upon arriving at Rothion and Sophitia's home, Cassandra knocked on the door. "Hello? Anyone home?" she called.

The door opened to reveal a young man with blonde hair. "Hey! Cassandra!" the young man said. "Lucius! Hey! " Cassandra said, and the two hugged.

"Huh? Who's that, sis?" the boy asked, noticing Yun-seong.

"Oh, right. Lucius, this is my friend Yun-seong. Yun-seong, this is my brother Lucius," Cassandra said.

"Ugh, that's so not fair, sis," Lucius complained. "You and Sophitia get to go off on adventures and travel the world, while I'm stuck here babysitting Patroklos and Pyrrha…"

"Quit whining, I'd much rather be here at home," Cassandra said, but winked at Yun-seong, who laughed.

"Is Rothion home?" Cassandra asked.

"Yeah, but he's swamped today, that's why he's got me to help out," Lucius complained. "When he asked me to come help, he didn't say baby-sit!"

"Lucius! Pyrrha and Patroklos are a handful, of course Rothion's going to need help!" Cassandra scolded. "Where are they?"

"Ahh, I dunno. They're around," Lucius replied, scratching his blonde head. "I'm actually kind of scared to call them... they're starting to freak me out..."

"Have they gotten worse?" Cassandra asked, concerned.

"Shit yeah. Pyrrha's eyes started glowing, creepy as hell," Lucius said. "I'll go find them..." With a frightened shudder, Luicus walked down the hall.

"What's wrong with 'em?" Yun-seong asked. "How sick are they?"

"They're not sick," Cassandra sighed. "They've been exposed to the evils of Soul Edge."

"What!? How!?" Yun-seong said, looking around. "Is this like, an evil house or something?"

"Of course not! My sister was infected with Soul Edge's energy when she got stabbed with it," Cassandra said, trying to dumb the situation down enough so Yun-seong would understand it. "And when she had her children, they were infected with the evil energy as well."

"How'd they get ahold of Soul Edge?" Yun-seong wanted to know, but was interrupted by Lucius's return, and in his arms were two small children.

"Umm... Pyrrha, Patroklos, it's Aunt Cassie," Lucius said, sounding fearful as he set the children down.

"Hi, you two," Cassandra said, sounding nervous. "Umm... this is Yun-seong! Yun-seong, say hi!" 

"Hi," Yun-seong said, glancing down at the two kids. He liked kids as much as the next guy, but judging by the little girl's glowing red eyes and the fact that the little boy was foaming at the mouth, he didn't want to take any chances.

Lucius hastily wiped the little boy's mouth and said, to his alarmed sister, "Uh, Patroklos stated foaming at the mouth about a week ago... kinda creepy... Mom and Dad are really freaked, that's why they're pissed at you for leaving again, they think you're gonna get all radiated too."

"Oh boy," Cassandra groaned. "Where's Rothion?"

"Busy," Lucius said. "That's why I'm here, remember. Maaan, I've got stuff to be doing."

"Oh please," Cassandra rolled her eyes. "They're your family, Lucius, be a little more concerned."

"Coming from the girl who gets to run free and travel the world," Lucius said. "How old are you? Can't be much older than me," he said to Yun-seong.

"Huh? Me? I'm 18," Yun-seong said. "Waiiit... is it April yet?"

"No," Lucius said.

"Oh. Then I'm still 18. How old are you?" Yun-seong asked.

"18 next month," Lucius answered. "Man are you lucky. Is that your sword?"

"No. I stole it," Yun-seong said. Technically Mina _loaned _it to him, but stealing a sword sounded way more badass.

"I'll leave you boys here," Cassandra said, rolling her eyes. "Pyrrha, Patroklos, be good, OK?" Before the two crazed children could react, she ran down the hallway into the room that led to her brother-in-law's workshop.

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Rothion looked up from hammering a large sword to see his sister-in-law running into the room. "Cassandra! What are you doing here?" he asked in suprise.

Cassandra looked behind her to make sure the children hadn't chewed through the stone walls and let out her breath. "Rothion, I'm sorry, but the weapons broke! I don't know how!"

Rothion's eyes widened in shock and he took the cracked and dented weapons he originally forged for Sophitia from Cassandra's hands. "Woah. What did you do to them, Cassie?"

"I just fought with them! A lot," Cassandra said. "I feel awful, I didn't know what to do so I came back here!"

"I'm glad you did, I can make you stronger weapons now," Rothion said, taking hold of a new ore and beginning to refine it.

"How are the kids doing?" Cassandra asked, looking worried.

Rothion sighed. "Not well. They still recognize me, but they become wild and unrestrainable at the simplest thing. I don't know what I'm going to do if the curse they're suffering from isn't reversed soon."

"Do you still have that Soul Edge shard?" Cassandra asked.

"Yes, I kept it," Rothion replied. "It's in one of the cabinets over there. You can't miss it, it's glowing red."

Cassandra smiled despite the situation and found the long, thin piece of metal. She touched and felt a sudden stab of pain. "Oww! What was that?" she gasped.

"Oh, it does that," Rothion sighed. "I don't know why. I feel like I don't know anything. My wife is away to destroy a demonic sword; my sister-in-law is traveling down the same path; and my children are infected with demonic energy. I don't know why the gods have decided to send Sophitia instead of myself, but I just do everything in my power to arm you and Sophitia so you can destroy the demon blade safely."

Cassandra took the shard and said, "Excuse me for a second," before leaving her brother-in-law's shop. "Yun-seong! Hey! Yun-seong!"

Yun-seong was still in the living room talking to Lucius, and looked up. "What?" he asked, and stared at the glowing piece of red metal in his companion's hand. "Holy crap, Cas, where the hell did you get that!?" he gasped.

"Oh no! Don't let the kids see that!" Lucius gasped, but Pyrrha and Patroklos's eyes widened, and the two children, now possessing demonic strength, tried to murder their aunt.

"Aaah! Pyrrha, Patroklos, what're you doing?!" Cassandra yelped, jumping on the couch to prevent her niece and nephew from murdering her.

"Dammit! Yun-seong, get Patroklos!" Lucius yelled, grabbing the squirming Pyrrha. "Calm down, girlie, that's your Aunt Cassie! And I'm your Uncle Lucius! Don't kill us, we're your family!"

"I'm not your family, but don't kill me either!" Yun-seong wailed, taking hold of Patroklos, who proceeded to sink his teeth into Yun-seong's strong arm. "OWWW! The little shit bit me!"

Cassandra ran back to the workshop and screamed, "Rothion, Pyrrha and Patroklos have gone crazy! What do we do?"

"Oh no. I forgot to tell you, don't let the kids see the shard, or-- that happens," Rothion said blankly, seeing Yun-seong and Lucius struggling to keep the kids under control. Cassandra grabbed the shard, stuffed it into her bag, and threw it outside the house.

Yun-seong was trying to rip the his arm out of the little boy's jaws without tearing half his flesh off, and wasn't doing a good job of it judging by the blood dripping down his arm. "Uh, Cas, help!" he protested.

Pyrrha was also struggling against her Uncle's grip, but Lucius was apparently used to restraining crazy children and was able to keep a firm grip on her.

If Rothion was confused as to why there was a strange Korean teenager in his living room, he didn't say anything. Instead he took his son from Yun-seong's hold and shook the boy firmly. "Patroklos! Calm down!" he ordered, but the boy growled at him.

"Can't you just shut them up in a room?" Cassandra asked, grabbing a piece of cloth from the fresh laundry and giving it to Yun-seong.

"They'll kill each other if we do," Rothion sighed. "The shard is at least out of the house, they should be calming down by now..."

"What kind of idiot keeps a shard that makes his kids turn into demons lying around?" Yun-seong asked, rolling his eyes.

Rothion shot him a "STFU" look and Cassandra kicked him to make him be quiet.

Pyrrha began crying, and Lucius groaned and sat down. "And Mom and Dad wonder why I'm not having kids any time soon," he sighed. "Dammit!! Sophieeee, hurry up!!"

"Don't blame this on Sophitia! She's out there fighting!" Rothion said, rearing on his brother-in-law, who rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, she's out there on an adventure, leaving you and me to take care of her demon children," Lucius scoffed. "And now Cassie's out risking her life too! I don't get it! How the hell did Sophie get wrapped into this Soul Edge crap anyways?"

"Because she's a hero! The Gods knew she was strong, and brave, and they sent her to destroy that blade!" Rothion argued. "I don't know why you're so jealous about this!"

"BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!!" Cassandra screamed, finally losing her temper. "Arguing isn't going to solve this!" She turned to Lucius. "I know you don't like it, but we've all got roles to play in this battle against Soul Edge, and yours is supporting your sister! Sophitia is counting on you to help out, Lucius! Just because you're not out on the front lines doesn't mean you're not helping!"

She turned back to Rothion. "Rothion, please, you've got to repair my weapons so I can get going again. I can't bear to see my niece and nephew in such pain and I have to help Sophitia. Please."

Then she turned to Yun-seong. "And as for you---"

"I didn't do anything!" Yun-seong whined.

"Oh. Right. You didn't," Cassandra said. "Sorry. Oh, and while I'm here. Yun-seong, this is my brother-in-law Rothion. Rothion, this is Yun-seong."

"Nice to meet you," Yun-seong said, grinning at the older man.

"Likewise," Rothion said, and shook Yun-seong's hand. "I'm sorry Patroklos bit you so hard. It's happened a few times to me, too."

"Ah, just trying to help," Yun-seong said.

"Yun-seong and I've been traveling together. We're both trying to destroy the sword," Cassandra explained.

Rothion nodded and smiled. "Well, it is very nice to meet you, Yun-seong, and thank you for anything you've done to help my sister-in-law. I'm sorry, but I should get back to work." He excused himself and left.

"Cassie, did you know Yun-seong's engaged to some girl back home in Korea?" Lucius asked. "He's even going to inherit the legendary Seung Dojo! Which, I've never heard of, but it's still cool!"

"Uh huh," Cassandra said, rolling her eyes. "So, what else did you tell him, Yun-seong?"

"Shut up," Yun-seong muttered, a faint blush streaking his cheeks. Hey, there was a possibility he would someday marry Mina and inherit the Seung Dojo... a small possibility, but that counted.

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Cassandra had went back to Rothion's shop to see if she could help him at all. Blacksmithing was a confusing matter to her, and although she knew nothing about the craft, she could hold tools and pass them.

"So, Cassie... that boy with you, he's not your--"

"No, of course not," Cassandra giggled at the thought, cutting her brother-in-law off. "He's just a friend, Roth. He's a good guy, but not the kind of guy I'm into. Besides, he's already in love with a girl back home. Lucky," she added as an afterthought. Yun-seong was pretty lucky to have someone to love. She wasn't sure if Mina loved Yun-seong back, but it sounded like they had a close friendship from what Yun-seong had told her.

...then again, according to Lucius, they were engaged to be married, but Yun-seong was probably just showing off. She smiled and shook her head.

"Well, Cassandra, I certainly hope you find the kind of guy you're into soon," Rothion said with a smile. "I'm sure Pyrrha and Patroklos would enjoy having cousins, once Soul Edge has been destroyed and they're back to their old selves."

"I'm 21, Roth, I've got time," Cassandra laughed. "Ah, I dunno. I guess when I find the right guy, I'll know, right?"

"You will," Rothion said. "Exactly how it was with me and my dear Sophitia. And speaking of which, I almost forgot to tell you why Sophitia's not around. Pyrrha and Patroklos's bizarre behavior is certainly a factor, but when she was at the Hepheastus temple praying, she was ambushed by a girl who threatened the children. She asked if she could play with them, and when Sophitia refused, the girl became enraged and attacked her. Sophitia said the girl was entirely evil, but why she's after the children, we're unsure."

"So she went to find this girl?" Cassandra asked, her voice volume rising in fear. "This girl's after Pyrrha and Patroklos? What does she look like?"

"Sophitia was vague with the details, but she did mention that the girl was dressed in green clothes, with messy hair and an evil aura, and she was carrying a giant ring as a weapon," Rothion said. "I would have gone in her place, but you know Sophitia… when her mind's made up, there's no changing it."

"Rothion, where'd Sophitia go?" Cassandra asked. "I've gotta go find her!"

"She said she would go where the gods guided her, but she left some notes about a mansion in Toledo behind," Rothion said. "According to them, there's a middle-aged man who lives there who dedicated the last decade to Soul Edge research, and he wants to help in its destruction. I think talking to him would be a valuable asset, I think you should go," Rothion said, removing from the furnace a sword and shield. "But be careful, alright?"

"I will," Cassandra promised. "Boy, am I glad I came home!"

"But before you go, Cassandra, I present you with these- your Nemea shield, reforged and ready for action, and a new weapon- the Digamma Sword," Rothion said, handing her the new weapons. "Careful, they're still pretty hot!"

Cassandra took the weapons from Rothion and gave them a test swing. "Awesome!" she said happily, watching a big smile cross Rothion's face. "Thanks so much, Rothion!"

"It's my pleasure, Cassandra," Rothion said. "But are you sure you two want to head out again so soon? It's getting to be dark, are you sure you'd rather not spend the night here?"

"I don't know," Cassandra admitted. "I mean, I want to, but I don't want mom and dad to find out I'm back, or they won't want me to leave again."

"Stay here!" Rothion suggested. "We've certainly got room. I can prepare dinner and everything, so you two have energy for tomorrow."

Cassandra agreed immediately and smiled. "Sounds great! Thank you!"

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"Well, we'll be seeing you!" Cassandra said to Rothion, hugging him good-bye. "Thanks for the new weapons!"

"Don't even mention it," Rothion said. "It was nice meeting you, Yun-seong! Come over whenever you're in Greece, alright?"

"You got it!" Yun-seong said, shaking Rothion's hand. "Good luck with the kids!"

"Thank you, and good luck with your journey!" Rothion smiled.

"Lucius, I meant what I said, I know you don't like babysitting but help out, alright?" Cassandra said, hugging her younger brother.

Lucius sighed, then his face brightened excitedly. "Hey, Cassie, can I come with you?"

"You don't know how to fight!" Cassandra pointed out. "I'm sorry, Lucius. Maybe some other time." 

Lucius looked disappointed, and turned to Yun-seong to say farewell. "Ah, whatever. Good meeting ya, bro. Invite me to the wedding," he said with a grin.

"I have a confession to make, actually. Mina and I aren't engaged (yet)," Yun-seong said. "But she's madly in love with me and I broke her heart when I left."

"Oh, please," Cassandra laughed. "Come on, let's get going, we're headed to Spain!"

"Spain... I think that's near Korea!" Yun-seong said, brightening. "Hey! We can go see everyone back home!"

Cassandra rolled her eyes. "How stupid are you?"

"Just as dumb as you, blondie," Yun-seong replied, sticking his tongue out at her.

"DO THAT AGAIN AND I'M GOING TO RIP YOUR--"

"Cut it out, both of you. Spain's in Europe, nowhere near Korea. It's a few countries away from here, actually," Rothion said, thinking. "Ask directions along the way, I'm not sure. But good luck!"

"Bye!" Cassandra and Yun-seong said, and they resumed their journey.

"Your family's awesome," Yun-seong laughed.

"Oh, shut up," Cassandra grumbled.

"No, I'm serious! Makes me wish I had a family, instead of a bunch of sweaty dojo buddies," Yun-seong said, digging in his pockets for something. "Aw, damn, don't tell me I- oh, here we go!" he said, withdrawing the little Soul Edge fragment.

"Well, Rothion said Sophitia's in Spain right now, searching for a man who supposedly dedicated his life to researching Soul Edge," Cassandra said. "So, I figure we head to Spain."

"Fine with me," Yun-seong said. "I hear Spanish food is really good!" (AN: It sure is:D)

"Alright then, to Spain it is!" Cassandra said.

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	8. Chapter 8

Holy crap, I sure dragged my ass with this one. Well it's nice and long, so hopefully it'll make up for my month off. xD

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Upon arrival in Toledo, the former capital of Spain, Yun-seong ran off to relieve himself, the same thing he did EVERY TIME THE TWO OF THEM ENTERED A CITY, and Cassandra looked around the city from the entrance, searching for anything who looked suspicious.

"Hey, Cassandra, look!" Yun-seong yelled, pointing.

"Yun-seong, for the hundredth time I don't WANT to see how far you can pee-- Hey! Smoke! You know what that means? FIRE!!" Cassandra yelled, realizing what Yun-seong was pointing at.

"Fire! Sweet! Something must be goin' on!" Yun-seong said.

"Alright, then let's see what's going on over there!" Cassandra yelled.

"Huh!? Oh, OK! Whatever!" Yun-seong said, pulling his shorts back up and following her.

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Inside the flaming, crumbling inferno of a mansion, Cassandra slowed down to a halt, Yun-seong nearly slamming right into her.

"Look at this place! It's huge!" Cassandra said.

And huge it was. They appeared to be in a large gallery of some sort, and the room was covered in flaming tapestries, bookshelves filled with books, and fancy rugs. In the middle of the room, the floor had caved in, and the ceiling was crumbling down.

On the other side of the gorge, Cassandra could barely make out the shadow of a person racing towards the other side of the mansion. "Yun-seong! Over there! There's a person!" Cassandra yelled, pointing.

"Yeah? Well, get a load of this! This is the only book that's not on fire! It's some guy's journal, it's all about his research on SOUL EDGE!" Yun-seong yelled, waving the thick volume in the air.

"Keep the book! I'm gonna go catch whoever that is!" Cassandra yelled. She took a few steps back, and sprinted towards the gorge, jumping right over it and landing on the ground on the other side. "Yun-seong, if you find anything else, hang on to it!"

Yun-seong watched her sprint off, then looked down at the book in his hand. "I'm not just gonna sit here reading books while she gets to have all the fun," he said to himself. Sticking the book in his shorts, and wincing due to the extreme heat being pressed against his leg, he leapt over the gorge and followed after Cassandra.

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Cassandra dashed through the crumbling mansion, dodging pieces of the ceiling as they fell down. The smoke was becoming very cloudy and hard to see in, but she kept sight on her target, who she could barely make out to be a person wearing silver armor.

"Hey!" she tried to call out, but she could barely open her mouth without breathing in the smoke. She kept running, thinking to herself, "If Sophitia can do this, I can too!"

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"C-Cassandra!" Yun-seong yelled, chasing after her as she ran through the mansion. "Cassand-" Yun-seong stopped to catch his breath, and found it quite hard to breathe.

He knew it was dangerous to be running around in an inferno, and although he wanted to live to see his 19th birthday, and maybe kiss a girl, he would feel too guilty leaving Cassandra here to die.

So here he was, running around in a towering inferno, playing hero as always. Yun-seong continued his search for Cassandra, but a blonde woman wearing a short white gown and armor, carrying a sword and shield identical to Cassandra's, blocked his path.

"Who are you!?" she demanded, raising her sword.

"Whoa, whoa, relax! I'm looking for my friend!" Yun-seong said, tightening his grip on his weapon. He didn't care who this woman was, if she was going to get in the way of him getting the hell out of the mansion, he had something to say about that.

"How'd you get in here?" the woman asked, not lowering her sword.

"Look, I'd love to stay here and chat, but I've gotta find my friend! She might be in trouble!" Yun-seong said angrily.

"You're looking for the cursed sword, aren't you? Soul Edge? Is that why you're here?" the woman asked.

"Huh? How'd you know?" Yun-seong demanded.

"I can see it in your eyes! You're thinking of using the sword, aren't you?" the woman asked.

"What's it to you?" Yun-seong asked.

"The cursed sword has power no mortal can safely wield. I know! I've shattered the sword myself! Soul Edge swallows the soul of its wielder!" the woman said. "I told my sister the same thing!"

"Your sister... wait a minute..." Yun-seong thought for a second.

Oh, duh. "Wait, I know who you are! You're Cassandra's sister, aren't you?" Yun-seong asked.

"Cassandra! How do you know my sister!?" the woman, apparently Sophitia, cried, raising her weapon. "I don't know who you are, but if something happens to Cassandra because of you, I'll kill you!"

"Wait! Hang on, before you kill me! Cassandra's my friend! We've been traveling together in search of the sword!" Yun-seong yelled, hiding behind White Storm. "I don't know where she went! That's why I'm looking for her!"

"Cassandra's here? And she's safe? Thank goodness!" Sophitia said.

"Don't jump to conclusions. I didn't say safe," Yun-seong corrected. "That's why I'm looking for her!"

"Well, come on, let's try and find her!" Sophitia said.

"OWWW!!" screamed a girl's voice.

"Uh oh. That sounded like Cassandra," Yun-seong said.

"Then let's go!" Sophitia cried, and ran off towards where the scream sounded.

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"Cassandra? Where are you?" Sophitia cried, running through the flames. She could hear that red-haired boy several ways behind her, yelling for her to wait for him, but right now she could only think of her sister.

As she ran, she bumped into a fully armored young man with blonde hair, with a giant, zweihander-type sword strapped to his back, carrying in his arms a short-haired blonde girl... Cassandra!!

"Cassandra!" Sophitia cried. "Who are you? What happened to her?"

The man shook his head furiously, his long blonde hair cascading down his back and blowing in his face. (AN: Think "Fabio".) "Not now! This mansion must be evacuated!" he said, his voice deep and hoarse.

Sophitia stared as the man charged out of the inferno, carrying Cassandra in his arms. With no other choice but to follow the man and ensure her sister's safety, she followed him, bumping smack into Yun-seong along the way.

"Ow! What's the big idea?" Yun-seong complained.

"Don't let that man out of your sight! Come on!" Sophitia said, grabbing Yun-seong by his arm and pulling him along beside her. "Come on, run!"

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The young man apparently knew the way out of the fire, and continued going until he reached the quiet tree grove behind the mansion, which was safe from the raging flames. He slowed down and gently laid Cassandra on the ground.

"Alright, who are you? Answer me!" Sophitia demanded, drawing her sword.

The man looked up at her, and Sophitia could see the pain and anguish in his piercing green eyes. Obviously this was not a happy man.

"Um…" she said, but now felt oddly uncomfortable threatening this man. After all, he did save her sister's life…

"Chill out, Sophitia," Yun-seong said. "We're not gonna hurt you. Just tell us who you are."

The man let out a deep sigh. "My name is Siegfried Schtauffen. I… I was resting in the mansion when it was set on fire. I defeated the assassin who started the flames, but as I escaped, I encountered this girl, lying unconscious on the ground… I didn't want her to die…"

Feeling guilty for jumping down this poor man's throat about Cassandra, Sophitia sat down and smiled at him. "Thank you for saving her," she said. "She's my younger sister, and I wouldn't have made it in time if it wasn't for you."

"Wait a minute. Assassin? What assassin?" Yun-seong asked.

"An assassin, who works for an underground organization known as the Birds of Passage," Siegfried explained. "They form contracts with the powerful, and send out their assassins to eliminate their enemies… and if I'm correct, they were after the proprietor of this mansion…"

"Probably because he knows about Soul Edge!" Yun-seong said. "It's all starting to make sense!"

Alarm flashed across Siegfried's face. His handsome features darkened and he said, quietly, "Did you say Soul Edge?"

"Yes… why do you ask?" Sophitia asked, confused. "Do you know of it?"

"More than you could ever imagine," Siegfried said quietly, and seemed to remember Sophitia and Yun-seong's presence. "…I'm sorry. I don't know what you're talking about," he said quietly.

Sophitia could tell Siegfried was hiding something, and doing a bad job of it, but she decided not to press the case. Yun-seong apparently felt the same way, but all he said was, "I'm gonna go check out the mansion and see if I can find any survivors."

Sophitia stood up. "I'll go with you. Would it burden you to stay with my sister, Siegfried?" she asked.

Siegfried nodded, not looking at her. His gaze was resting on Cassandra. "Of course not," he said. "I'll stay."

As Yun-seong and Sophitia headed back up to the mansion, Sophitia giggled. "Did you see the way he was looking at my sister?" she asked. "My goodness! Cassandra will be so excited when she wakes up!"

"I get the definite feeling he knows something important that he should tell us… but whatever. Let's see if we can find the owner of this place," Yun-seong suggested.

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Cassandra's blue eyes fluttered open and she sat up, wincing in pain. "Ooh…" she groaned. She noticed a young man dressed in silver armor, with long blonde hair, resting across from her, his eyes closed and his back against a tree. Cassandra could see a large scar across his closed right eye, and felt a smile spreading across her face. Whoever he was, describing him as handsome was an understatement.

"Ex-excuse me," she said to the man, who stirred and opened his eyes. He looked startled to see her awake. "Can you tell me where I am?" Cassandra asked, almost unable to tear her own eyes away from his incredible green ones. For some reason, the man's expression was one of pain and anguish… maybe someone he knew died in the fire?

"I found you in the mansion," he said, looking at Cassandra. "I don't know where we are now…" Cassandra felt a wave of compassion towards the young man and smiled at him.

"Really? Thanks! What's your name?" she asked.

"My name… my name's Siegfried," he said. "Siegfried Schtauffen." To Cassandra, it looked as if he could barely remember his own name…

"Well, thanks for saving me, Siegfried," Cassandra said with a big smile. "I owe you, big time!" Her eyes wandered across Siegfried's body, and noticed blood leaking from a shattered piece of his leg armor. "Hey! You're hurt!" she said.

"I'll be alright," Siegfried said, but Cassandra put her hand on his shoulder and smiled at him.

"You're hurt... c'mon, let me help you," Cassandra said gently. Siegfried gazed at her for a second, then nodded without saying a word. Cassandra gently removed the shattered armor piece from Siegfried's leg. As expected, the wound was rather large, and perhaps was the cause of Siegfried's pain.

Cassandra thought for a second as to what to use as a bandage. She remembered Yun-seong had extra bandages in his bag, which he had left behind, and after cleaning the wound she bandaged Siegfried's leg with a white bandage, tying it tightly enough so it wouldn't fall off, but loose enough to feel comfortable. After having to give Yun-seong about a hundred field dressings, I've finally gotten good at them, she thought with a grin.

"Thank you," Siegfried said. "It's been a long time since anyone's shown me such kindness."

"You saved my life, it was the least I could do," Cassandra said with a smile. Siegfried was dashingly handsome, but Cassandra couldn't help but wonder why he seemed so unhappy. "So what brings you out here in the middle of nowhere?"

"I was resting in the mansion," Siegfried said. "I defeated the assassin who started the flames, but when I was escaping, I found you on the ground."

"An assassin? Why was an assassin after you? You couldn't have done anything wrong," Cassandra said, studying Siegfried's handsome face. How'd he get that scar? she wondered, but decided instantly she liked it.

"The Birds of Passage sent the assassin," Siegfried explained. "They're an evil organization, and if anyone were to cross them, they send out their assassins to eliminate their enemies… and if I'm correct, they were after the proprietor of this mansion, not myself."

"The mansion owner?" Cassandra repeated, and thought for a second. "Wait a minute... is the Birds of Passage-- are they-- they've gotta be after Soul Edge!"

Siegfried's blonde head shot up. "Soul Edge?" he asked.

"Uh huh. I'm on a quest to destroy it," Cassandra said proudly.

"What was your name?" Siegfried asked.

"Cassandra Alexandra," Cassandra said. "Uh, is something wrong?"

"Are you related to Sophitia Alexandra?" Siegfried asked.

"Yeah, she's my sister. How do you know her?" Cassandra asked.

"She shattered Soul Edge once before. She almost saved my life," Siegfried sighed. "I've never met her personally. I only know her by reputation."

"Huh?" Cassandra asked, completely confused. "I don't understand this at all! How do you know my sister? Were you involved in the search for Soul Edge about seven years ago?"

Siegfried looked up and gazed into Cassandra's honest, innocent eyes. He had a feeling she could be trusted. "I will tell you, if you swear to me you'll say nothing of this to your compatriots," he said.

"Of course," Cassandra said.

"I was the reason your sister, and many others, began their journey to destroy the evil blade," Siegfried said, looking down at his gauntlet-clad hands. "Soul Edge had complete control over me. I was the Azure Knight." He looked up into Cassandra's shocked eyes and looked away again, unable to keep eye contact. "I was Nightmare."

Cassandra knew she looked shocked, but couldn't bring herself to change her expression. All she could do was stare and blink.

"For years, it seemed... I slaughtered innocent people, and sacrificed their souls to the evil blade. But I was beginning to break free of its control. I thought I would be free, but the demonic blade took over my body when I slept. I thought I would never be free." Siegfried sighed, knowing telling her was a mistake, but decided she should at least know what she was up against if she was going to attempt to destroy the monstrous sword.

"But it wasn't your fault," Cassandra said, finding her voice. "Soul Edge had control of you. You didn't know what you were doing."

"It was my fault, Cassandra," Siegfried said. "I found the sword. I thought I could wield it, use it to avenge the death of my father. But I couldn't. I wasn't strong enough, and murdered countless innocent people as a result." He sighed again, and Cassandra leaned closer to him and took his hand.

"But you're free now, right?" Cassandra said, trying to cheer him up. "If you don't mind telling me... how did you break free? Did Sophitia free you?" 

Siegfried shook his head. "Not quite. After your sister shattered Soul Edge with Soul Calibur, I was almost freed. But Soul Edge took control over me, and I became Nightmare again. Then, several years later, another… a man, wielding a thin sword, attacked me at Ostrheinsburg Castle, and he damaged the… the sword, and I regained control of my body and my sanity. I destroyed Soul Edge, and since then I've been traveling the world, looking for pieces of the sword to destroy them," Siegfried said, looking down at the ground as he spoke.

Cassandra now understood why Siegfried seemed so downcast, and bit her lip, hesitanting. She rolled her eyes at her hesitance and smiled. Why not?

She put her arms around Siegfried and gave him a gentle hug. There was definite suprise in his eyes, but Cassandra didn't care. "Then let me help you out," she suggested. "Yun-seong and I are already trying to destroy the sword. If you wanted, we could find the pieces of the sword and destroy it." She smiled and gave him another gentle squeeze. "Together."

Siegfried seemed to be considering her offer, but the sad look in his eyes confirmed Cassandra's doubts. "I would enjoy that... but I can't. I can't endanger the life of you or your companion. I was once Nightmare, Cassandra. It would be wise to keep me away from other people."

"But..." Cassandra tried to protest, but Siegfried put his finger over her lips to shut her up.

"I must go," Siegfried said, standing to his feet once more and helping her up. "Thank you for your kind words. I don't want to leave you, but I must finish my duty... I hope I see you again someday."

"Me too," Cassandra said, feeling sad. "Wait... Siegfried! Wait!"

But he didn't stop, and Cassandra sighed, sinking back down to the ground again. "Aww... I hope you're okay, Siegfried... take care of yourself... you're really hot..."

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Woohoo, Ch 8 done, and Siegfried Schtauffen makes his grand appearance. Siegfried's so hot. xD Gotta love Namco, they make their men hot.


	9. Chapter 9

Aagh. Wow, it's been a good couple months since I last updated, sorry about the wait. I don't even have a good excuse for not updating, so to make up for my lousy author responsibility I made this chapter nice and long. :D

In case you forgot what happened last chapter, go back and re-read it, because I forgot too, and therefore can't provide you with a decent last-time-on-the-story recap. Sorrrrry :D

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Yun-seong and Sophitia came back after finding nothing useful, and were reunited with Cassandra, who was alone once more. Sophitia ran to her sister's side, and the two sisters hugged, but Yun-seong noticed something.

"Where'd that guy go?" Yun-seong asked.

"He just got up and left," Cassandra said, looking worried. "He was wounded, too... I hope he's alright."

"I got the definite feeling he's hiding something," Yun-seong scowled. "You see the size of that sword? Look familiar?"

Sophitia looked at Cassandra and mouthed "Who's he?" to her younger sister. Cassandra rememebered she hadn't introduced them yet and said, hurridly, "Um, sis, this is my friend, Yun-seong. Yun-seong, this is my older sister, Sophitia..."

Sophitia smiled at Yun-seong. "It's nice to officially meet you, Yun-seong. I'm terribly sorry I nearly attacked you in the mansion."

"It's OK. That's how I met Cassandra too," Yun-seong said, recalling the day he met Cassandra (and she tried to kill him).

Sophitia laughed. "Well, you can never be too careful these days. Are you helping Casssandra?"

"Well, actually, she's helping ME-" Yun-seong noticed Cassandra glaring at him, and reluctantly said, "Yes."

"Sis, what are you doing here anyways? I thought I told you I would take care of this!" Cassandra said.

"I'm sorry, Cassandra, but it's my fault Soul Edge exists in the first place. I realized that I have to do this, to protect my children's future," Sophitia said. "But I do have some valuable information I think could be of some assistance to you two."

Cassandra and Yun-seong nodded and sat down on the ground across from Sophitia, and she began talking.

"I was able to talk to the proprietor of this mansion," Sophitia said. "He told me of a strange man who visited him. The man told him to stop his research of the cursed Sword, for it would be his eventual downfall."

"Did he keep researching, Sis?" Cassandra asked.

"Yes. He learned more about the ferocious power of Soul Edge. A man named Aeon Calcon, who was one of the 24 warriors summoned by Hepheastus-- myself included-- ignored the oracle and was corrupted by the evil Sword. He was transformed into a cold-blooded beast when his soul corrupted with evil. He believed Hephaestus cursed him, and he was responsible for the destruction of the Hephaestus shrine in Athens," Sophitia continued sadly. "I haven't yet seen the damages, but--"

"WHAT!?" Cassandra gasped. "We were just there!! We could have prevented that!!"

"Calm down, Cassandra," Sophitia said hurridly. "Don't get angry, the Hephaestus shrine can be reconstructed."

"Sis, Rothion told me you were attacked by some girl dressed in green, and she threatned Pyrrha and Patroklos," Cassandra said.

"Oh... I hoped he wouldn't say anything..." Sophitia said quietly.

"Well, who is she? I want to know who she is! Dressed in green isn't enough to search on! If I catch her, I'll KILL her!" Cassandra said angrily, standing up.

"Cassandra, calm down. I've already taken care of her," Sophitia said quickly. "I defeated her at Ostrheinsburg, and she ran away. Her name is Tira. She was raised by the Birds of Passage, the same group of assassins who set fire to the mansion. She is now a servant of the cursed sword, or so it seems. For reasons I don't know, she's after my children... but thankfully the Gods enabled me to defeat her."

"Fancy way to say you kicked her ass," Yun-seong commented, and Sophitia smiled at him.

"I was able to search Ostrheinsburg Castle after I defeated Tira. Just as I suspected there was a Soul Edge shard present," Sophitia said, removing the shard from her bag and holding it in her palm. "My old wounds don't ache anymore when I touch the sword... I suppose my connection to the Sword was transferred to my children."

Yun-seong took the shard from Sophitia and yelped. "Ouch! Stupid thing burned me!" he whined, pocketing the shard and sticking his burnt fingers into his mouth. "That makes two shards. Damn, we're good at this."

"Are you kidding? We haven't done anything yet," Cassandra said.

Sophitia looked at Cassandra. "Cassandra, for the sake of my children, I must continue my journey."

"Sophitia, you're wrong. Soul Edge isn't your responsibility anymore. Taking care of your children is. Yun-seong and I can take care of things from here, alright? Watch over your home. You can count on us to destroy that sword."

Sophitia looked concerned. "Cassandra..."

"Sophitia, it'll be fine," Cassandra assured her. "You've already shattered Soul Edge once. Let me do it this time. Besides, I've got Yun-seong here to protect me, right?"

"Yeah! I'm tough!" Yun-seong agreed, pounding his chest. "Oww..."

Sophitia glanced at Yun-seong with a look of pity. "But..."

"Sophitia, you don't have to do everything yourself. Let me help. Isn't it a mother's job to watch over her children?" Cassandra asked.

"Alright, I concede. I'll return home," Sophitia said. "I know you can do it, Cassandra. Just be careful, alright?"

Cassandra nodded and the two sisters hugged fiercly. "Don't worry about me, sis," she said, as they let each other go. "I promise I'll be home before you know it."

"I believe in you," Sophitia said. She turned to Yun-seong and took his hands, gripping them tightly. "Yun-seong, I'm counting on you. Protect my sister, okay?"

Yun-seong nodded quickly. "You got it!!"

"Good luck, you two!" Sophitia said.

Cassandra and Yun-seong nodded and they went their seperate ways.

"Your sister's nice," Yun-seong commented.

"She is nice," Cassandra agreed. "And that's why I'm here, to protect her and her family."

"So what's going on with you and that blonde guy?" Yun-seong teased, and Cassandra blushed horribly.

"Wh-what're you TALKING about!?" she gasped, her face turning as pink as her shield.

"You don't have to lie to me, I know what it's like to love someone!" Yun-seong laughed.

"Shut up! I barely know the guy!"

"Uh huh. Then why's your face turning so pink-- AAOW!!" Yun-seong yelled, when Cassandra hit him on the head with her shield.

"My face is NOT turning pink," Cassandra muttered, folding her arms. "And you shut up! Quit embarrassing me!"

"Consider it done," Yun-seong whined, rubbing his head. "Oww..."

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Ahh, that sucked, not much of an action-y chapter. Action-y? Is that a word? Aaah who cares, I wrote the dictionary, remember? Alright alright I didn't write the dictionary, but I did win the Civil War. Go check "Civil War" in Wikipedia and it'll say I won it. Unless those damn Wikipedia bastards changed it back to the REAL facts... :P


	10. Chapter 10

Hey, look at this! I'm not dead!

Yes folks, after seeing pictures of Yun-seong from SCIV, and being all excited that Namco FINALLY heard my anguished pleas for half-nekkid Yun-seong goodness, they made my dreams come true—err, not really—and I seriously did a backflip when I saw how he looks. I hate the bandana though; I like his red hair better.

For the sake of this story I'm gonna keep the whole gang in the stuff they've been wearing through the entire story.

I feel like such a shitter for letting this story nearly die; this is probably one of my favorite stories I've written to date, so, here it is! I will update again TOMORROW, so check back again later. :)

I don't even remember where I left OFF; I've had like up to twenty chapters pre-written sitting on a document in my computer for about two months now, so I'm copy/pasting. I won't actually have to THINK for an update for some time now… haha…

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After leaving Spain, they wandered for a few days, heading towards the strange city containing the clock tower Sophitia had mentioned. Yun-seong and Cassandra came across a small village and began scouting for somewhere to eat.

"Who the hell would want to live out here in this dump?" Yun-seong asked loudly, looking around. The villagers saw the two of them coming and looked frightened. "You weirdos live right next door to an evil clock tower, but you're scared of us? Come off it!"

"Would you shut up!?" Cassandra hissed. "We're strangers here, remember? I'd rather not draw any attention!"

"So? These jerks aren't being very welcoming," Yun-seong complained. "Hey old timer, where's a place to get something to get eat?" he asked an old man, wobbling by.

The old man pointed toward a small building and shuddered. "Be careful, young lady, I'm feeling something very ominous coming from your companion," he said to Cassandra, glaring at Yun-seong.

"What the hell is THAT supposed to mean?" Yun-seong retorted angrily, but Cassandra smacked his arm lightly to shut him up.

"What're you talking about?" she asked, but the old man was already gone.

"That was weird," Cassandra said, looking around.

"This whole town is weird," Yun-seong said, sounding annoyed.

"Uh, how hungry are you? I think I've lost my appetite," Cassandra said nervously.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm not too— Oow!! Watch it!" Yun-seong yelled, as a man walked directly into him.

"Perhaps next time you'll look before you step," the man said cooly, looking Yun-seong up and down.

"What the hell are you talkin' about!? You walked into me!" Yun-seong said angrily. "Quit sizing me up! What, you want a fight or something!?"

"You're looking for the cursed sword, aren't you?" the man asked suddenly.

"Huh? How do you—I mean, uh, what's it to you?" Yun-seong said, quickly changing his mind in mid-sentence.

"You might be interested in meeting with my master. He dwells in the Clock Tower in the North," the man said calmly. "He will be able to help you much more than I can."

"Who says we need your help?" Yun-seong snapped. "Get the hell outta my face while you can still walk!"

The man walked away without another word, and Cassandra grabbed onto the back of Yun-seong's shirt to keep him from chasing after the man's retreating figure.

"Let him go, he looks like a wuss," Cassandra said quickly, trying to calm her angered friend down. "He's not worth wasting your time. What'd he say about a clock tower?"

"Said something about meeting his master there," Yun-seong said, scowling. "Jerk. It's probably just crap, he's trying to scare us or something… how'd he know we're looking for the sword?"

"I don't know. I say we go," Cassandra said.

"WHAT!? Are you crazed? It's gotta be a trap!" Yun-seong complained. "Fine. But if something bad happens, I have nothing to do with it!"

Cassandra laughed. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. C'mon, let's get the hell outta here before you kill one of these people."

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"Are we back in Europe yet?" Yun-seong asked.

"We've been in Europe, I think," Cassandra said. "We're getting close! Look!" In the horizon was a tall, thin building with a round face on the front, the clock tower.

"What is it?" Yun-seong asked, squinting. "I can't see that far!"

"It's the clock tower," Cassandra said. "I could really go for a nap, it's getting late… you wanna set up camp for the night?"

"OK," Yun-seong agreed.

After they set up camp, Cassandra yawned and laid down, resting her head against her traveling pack. She missed sleeping in a bed. Although sleeping under the stars was nice under different conditions, completely letting your guard down in the middle of a large forest was never a good idea.

"G'night, Mina," Yun-seong yawned, and rolled over, cuddled up in his blanket.

"Yun-seong?"

"What?"

"You called me Mina," Cassandra giggled. "I'm Cassandra, remember?"

"I'm sorry. I just miss her," Yun-seong admitted, rolling over onto his back. He stared up at the night sky.

"Aww, that's cute," Cassandra teased.

"Shut up! That's not funny!" Yun-seong complained. He sighed. "Y'know, Cas, she's been on my tail for a while now. I really want to see her again, but…"

"But what? You don't want her to see me?" Cassandra asked with a grin.

"No, it's not that. I think she's going to murder me when she finds me," Yun-seong said, with a small laugh.

"Huh? Why would she do that?" Cassandra asked, confused.

"I took the sword she loaned me, remember?" Yun-seong said. "Maaaan, the minute she finds me she's going to strangle me and drag my dead body back home."

"She sounds like a pain in the ass," Cassandra smiled.

"Ahh, she can be. But… aww, I dunno what I'm sayin'. I don't think she knows I love her… I mean, I am three years younger than she is. And I still don't know what's goin' on with her and Hwang…" Yun-seong sighed. "Sorry if I'm boring you, Cas. I'll stop."

"No, no, it's OK," Cassandra said. "I would give you some advice, but I don't really have much experience when it comes to love… my sister could've helped you though, she's great with that kind of stuff. Too bad you didn't say anything earlier…"

"Well, I dunno. I'm kinda hoping if Mina catches up to me… well, she's the kind of girl who can't sit still, y'know? She used to run away from the dojo all the time too, but Hwang would always drag her back home so she wouldn't get hurt or somethin'. But… if she's not mad at me, I was thinking she could come with us," Yun-seong said. "You wouldn't mind that, would you?"

"Of course I wouldn't," Cassandra said, and smiled to show she meant the truth. "And hey, when all this Soul Edge stuff is over, maybe Mina'll forget all about that Hwang guy you mentioned and fall for you instead. You never know."

"I'd like that," Yun-seong said with a grin. "I'd really like that."

There was quiet for a few minutes, and Yun-seong spoke up again. "And, hey, Cas, maybe we'll run into Siegfried again! He was so checking you out when you were out cold! Plus he saved your life and all."

Cassandra secretly thanked the Gods that Yun-seong couldn't see her blushing right now. "He was not," she grumbled. "And he would have carried anyone out of that inferno."

"Uh huh. You don't have to pretend with me," Yun-seong laughed.

"Oh, shut up! Discussion over! Go to bed, we need some sleep!" Cassandra scowled and rolled over.

Yun-seong grinned and rolled over in the opposite direction. "Alright, fine, be that way. 'cause it sure looks like you like him!"

"Shut up and go to sleep!" Cassandra whined. "You worry about Mina and I'll worry about myself!"

"Whatever. G'night, Cas. Sweet dreams— _of Siegfried_!" he added in a whisper.

(normally I would've cut the chapter off here, but that would be cruel!)

"Would you shut up already!?" Cassandra sighed and rolled over. Stupid Yun-seong. What did he know about love? She had already decided she didn't care what Siegfried used to be. He wasn't Nightmare. Soul Edge took over his mind. But he was trying to make up for everything horrible Soul Edge made him do, and that was good enough for her.

And besides that, he was so... so incredible! She barely knew him, spoke with him for maybe 10 minutes at most, and yet she found herself blushing at the sound of his name, wanting to murder Yun-seong whenever he teased her about him, and found a handsome blonde man with gorgeous green eyes appearing in her dreams quite often.

She yawned and rolled over, annoyed at what she saw. Yun-seong was already asleep, his back to her. He always slept peacefully, with his sword lying at least 10 feet away, still hooked on his belt which he took off. How was he so laid back? Cassandra couldn't shake the feeling that someone was following them from her subconcious, and hadn't let go of her sword since they had set up camp.

"Is someone there?" Cassandra finally called, looking around. "I know someone's there! I can hear you!"

Knowing this was a bad idea, but deciding she didn't care, Cassandra got up and headed toward the sound of the noise, her weapon at hand. The only way to shake this stalker off her tail was to kick their ass, right?

Cassandra carefully looked around the woods, not wanting to disturb anything that might be there naturally, like some creepy bug or predator. "Is anyone here?" she asked, still feeling like someone was watching her.

No reply. She looked around uneasily and continued, looking around. "Dammit. What the hell am I even looking for?" she asked herself out loud. "I should get out of here… Yun-seong might be waking up…"

She turned around and screamed in shock.

A girl wearing an orange fighting outfit had her weapon, a long bladed polearm, aimed in between Cassandra's eyes, her own dark eyes flashing with excitement. "Did you just say Yun-seong?" she asked.

"I might have," Cassandra said, her eyes narrowing. "Get that thing out of my face."

"I'd suggest you answer me," the girl said. "I don't have time for these silly games. I'm looking for Yun-seong."

"You made your point, and I'm gonna make mine," Cassandra said, drawing her weapon.

The girl smirked. "You want a fight? You got it." She jumped and swung her bladed weapon at Cassandra, who blocked with her shield.

"Not bad," the girl commented. "It took Yun-seong a few tries to block that."

"What do want Yun-seong for?" Cassandra scoffed. "I'd worry about your own ass if I was you." She swung her sword at the girl, who dodged and retailated.

"Nice," Cassandra said. They continued their fight, their blades clashing in a flash of silver. They smiled at each other.

"You're not bad, but not even half as good as me," the girl said. "How long do you want to keep this up?"

"Until you tell me what you want," Cassandra answered, lunging at the girl, who sidestepped the blow. "You're really starting to piss me off. Hold still!"

"Ah, no thanks," the girl said. "That junky sword of yours might do some damage if it hits me, after all. I don't want to take any risks."

"Oh, please. Coming from the girl who's got a knife tied to a stick and is stalking Yun-seong halfway across the world," Cassandra scoffed. "What's the matter, he didn't pay you or something?"

(All things considered, Cassandra was pretty sure Yun-seong didn't enlist in the services of prostitutes, but she had been wanting to use that line for a while now.)

The girl scowled and smacked Cassandra on the head with her halberd. "Ha, ha. Aren't you the funny one?"

After a couple minutes, both girls were weary and running out of sarcastic remarks to exchange. "You're really tough," Cassandra admitted. "A lot tougher than other people I've fought recently."

"I would hope so, after training for a good third of my life," the girl said, and sat down on the ground, lowering her weapon and letting out her breath. "You're not bad, but, I think that shield of yours slows you down some. Might wanna trash it and stick with the sword."

(AN: Cassandra doesn't know this yet, but yes, this girl is Seung Mina.)

"You think? What do you know?" Cassandra asked, annoyed. She was fond of her pretty pink shield and enjoyed bashing people in the face with it.

"One hell of a lot more than you, Princess," Mina scoffed. "Let me guess, the first time you ever picked up a sword is when you found out about Soul Edge? I've been training since I was seven years old."

"Big deal," Cassandra scowled. "How about I worry about me, and you worry about yourself?"

"Fine," Mina replied. "Tell me what I want to know and I'll leave you to your business. Why don't you just tell me where Yun-seong is? I know he's around. I'd rather save myself the trouble looking for him."

"Why do you want him anyway?" Cassandra asked.

"Oh, please," Mina said, rolling her eyes. "I'm Seung Mina. Yun-seong's from my dojo. The little pain-in-the-ass ran off with one of the swords I let him borrow, and I want to talk to him. That, and strangle him for making me have to chase him across the world."

She sighed and sat on the ground. "So who the hell are you? His girlfriend?"

"'Course not," Cassandra said, and sat down across from Mina. "I'm Cassandra Alexandra. We've been traveling together for a while. He's back at the camp sleeping. He's a lot stronger than you're giving him credit for, too."

Mina laughed. "I've known Yun-seong since he was fifteen. Believe me, I know him a lot better than you do. And I know he's strong. He's just too damn sure of himself. He's never gotten his ass kicked, except by me and my dad." She stood up and faced Cassandra. "So, you going to tell me where he is?"

"I wasn't planning on it," Cassandra replied. "I don't know if you realize this, but he's already said if you show up to drag him back home, he's not going with you. He wants to destroy the sword himself."

"I don't care what he thinks. I have no intention of dragging him back home. I just want to talk to him," Mina said. "Look, I can tell you right now I'm not going to do anything to hurt him. So you either tell me where he is or I'll just waste my time looking instead."

"Fine," Cassandra scowled. "But you try anything funny and you're going down, got it?"

"Ooh, I'm shaking," Mina retorted. "Just tell me where the hell he is."

Cassandra nodded and scowled at the girl. "Fine. But if you think you can give me orders, you've got another thing coming."

Mina watched the girl walk down the path and frowned. Who does this girl think she is? She'd better not be Yun-seong's girlfriend, because if she was, Mina silently vowed to kick Yun-seong's ass and drag him home the minute she got ahold of him. SHE was the only girl allowed to boss Yun-seong around…

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Hooray, it's Mina! Now finally all the "OMGEEZ WHENZ MINA GONNA SHOW UP" reviews will stop!

(not that I mind, any review that ups my review count is a good review!)

Anyway, it's 12:30AM, and I have to work tomorrow, so my brain is fried from uploading about seven new chapters and four new stories up today. I have nothing good to say, so PEACE OUT!


	11. Chapter 11

WHAT? An update? Hooray!

Ever since a lovely reviewer told me that you can remove Siegfried's armor in Soul Calibur 4, and have him shirtless, I have resolved to somehow obtain a Playstation 3 and a copy of Soul Calibur 4. However, this feat will become rather difficult, seeing as how I have no MONEY, no INCOME, and no JOB. :(

Anyway I give you… drumroll please… CHAPTER 11!!

* * *

Cassandra arrived at the campsite, where Yun-seong was sleeping. Glancing over her shoulder at Mina, she scowled. "I still don't—" THUNK. Mina knocked her out cold.

"Sorry," Mina muttered, and glanced down at the girl. "I don't want you eavesdropping. This is between me and him." She grabbed the blanket off from the ground and covered Cassandra with it, making it look like she was asleep instead of temporarily unconcious.

Yun-seong stirred from his sleep and grunted. Dammit. He was having a nice sleep, too, but some noise woke him up. From behind him, it sounded like a twig snapped.

"Aww, shit!" The words were whispered, but loud enough to be heard.

Yun-seong was already up on his feet, running to his clothes and drawing White Storm. "Who's there!?" he demanded, looking around. "You think you can sneak up on me!?"

"Oh, drop the act. I can't believe I finally found you," the voice said, and Yun-seong turned around to face none other than Seung Mina.

"Mina! What the hell are you doing here!?" Yun-seong gasped, half excited to see her, and half terrified she was going to murder him for stealing the sword.

"Calm down, calm down. I need to talk to you," Mina said, and looked around. "And for the love of God, put your clothes back on! Do you always run around in your underwear in the middle of nowhere?"

Yun-seong quickly pulled his clothes back on and looked expectantly at Mina. "Well? What do you want?" he scowled.

"Before you get all Tough Guy on me, let me just say this. I'm not here to drag you home. I don't care that you stole White Storm. And I covered for you with Dad, so you're not in trouble," Mina said.

Yun-seong's face went from angry to relieved. "Oh. OK," he said, and grinned. "A'ight, that's all I was nervous about. So what's up? You couldn't have followed me halfway across the world to tell me that."

"I didn't. I have to tell you something else, and this might be hard for you to hear," Mina said, taking Yun-seong by his arm. "C'mon, sit down. I know how strongly you feel about this… but—"

"It's OK, Mina," Yun-seong said, holding his hand up. "I feel the same way. I've given it a lot of thought, and I've come to a conclusion. I—"

"You think Hwang's an arrogant dick and that's why you ran away?" Mina asked, her eyes flashing with excitement. "Alright! I kinda got the idea of that from that note you left, but it's about time! You finally see things my way!"

"HUH? Wait, what're you talking about?" Yun-seong asked, slightly disappointed that Mina wasn't about to confess her uncontrollable love for him.

"Thanks to you running away, I talked Dad into letting me go find you. It took a lot of convincing, but I got him to let me go," Mina said. "I got out of the dojo and everything! I don't have to see Hwang's annoying face every single waking moment of my life anymore!"

"So does that mean because you found me, you're going back home now?" Yun-seong asked.

Mina grinned. "Are you kidding? Of course not! I was planning on catching up to you, so we could find Soul Edge together, but I wasn't counting on you finding someone else to travel with first. Who is she anyways? And if she's your girlfriend, or anything around that category, spare me the grotesque details, because—"

"She's not my girlfriend!!" Yun-seong said, before Mina could finish. "Nah, we met up a while ago, and we're friends now! She's great, but we met this guy Siegfried, and since then that's all she's been talking about. But it'd be great if you came with us too! That'd be great!" He realized he was babbling and mentally kicked himself.

"And that brings us to what I needed to tell you! Yun-seong, there is no Patriot Sword, or a Sword of Salvation. There is no such thing. The only sword we've been seeking is the evil one. The Patriot Sword is Soul Edge. It's not going to save anyone from anything," Mina said, sounding angry and bitter. "If you're looking for a way to save our country, then we might as well go home right now."

Yun-seong let out his breath and swore. "Shit. So we're wasting our time out here?"

"Well, not completely. I mean, think about it. There's no mystical Patriot Sword that'll give us endless power, to give us the strength to kick the Japanese's asses back home to where they belong, but… we can still destroy Soul Edge. And when we do, the entire world'll be a better place, not just back home," Mina pointed out.

"I guess," Yun-seong said, and Mina smiled. "Aww, don't be so disappointed, Yun-seong. We're out here, we've made it this far, why not keep going? We can destroy that Sword and make it home for dinner. What do you say?"

Yun-seong gazed at Mina happily and nodded. "I say we keep going! Me, you, and Cassandra. Sounds like fun to me!"

Mina grinned. "I knew you'd say that! Y'know, Yun-seong… when you ran off, I was kind of worried that you'd be hurt or something, but when I was following after you, I spoke to some people, and a lot of them spoke pretty highly of you. I'm really proud of you. You've grown up a lot." She grinned again, and sighed. "Aw, hell, gimme a hug, you idiot. I've missed you." She leaned over and hugged him.

Yun-seong blushed, then grinned, then finally thought to hug her back, holding her tightly. He smirked. In your face, Hwang. She chased me halfway across the world just to make sure I was OK. Beat that.

"Y'know, Mina, I've kinda got something to say too," Yun-seong said, his face turning pinker and pinker as he spoke.

"Oh really?" Mina asked. "Well, spit it out, I'm not going anywhere."

Gulp. Well, here goes. "Mina, I—"

"HEY!"

Yun-seong sighed. Something ALWAYS had to come up. He glanced over and was surprised to see Cassandra sitting up, staring at them with a big grin on her face.

"Oh ho ho! I'm out cold for 20 minutes and you two are over there cuddling?" She laughed, but didn't seem too angry. "Y'know, if you wanted to be alone, you could have just said so instead of knocking me out. I would have gone away."

"You knocked her out?" Yun-seong asked Mina, who chuckled and pulled back from Yun-seong's hug.

"I'll keep that in mind for future reference," Mina said, and smiled. She stood up and held her hand out to the blonde girl. "Sorry about that, but I didn't want you eavesdropping."

Cassandra held her glare for a few seconds, and smiled back. "No problem." She took Mina's hand and stood up. "So, you're Mina? I've heard so much about you from Yun-seong…"

"Oh really? What'd he say?" Mina asked, grinning back.

"That I can't tell you," Cassandra said, and Yun-seong let out a sigh of relief. "Well, when Yun-seong goes away, I'll tell you." She smirked at the gaping young man, who groaned.

Mina grinned. "You know, Yun-seong invited me to join your little party here. I was thinking of taking him up on that offer, if you don't have a problem with it, of course."

"Sure, what the hell? The more the merrier," Cassandra said, and grinned back. "It'll be cool to have another girl around, too!"

Yun-seong let out a sigh of relief. That worked out better than expected.

"Alright then, team! Let's get some sleep," Cassandra said, getting back inside her bedroll. "Man these things are comfy!"

"Yeah, I love this thing," Yun-seong agreed, snuggling in his bedroll. He turned to Mina. "Hey, Mi, you've got stuff, right?"

Mina nodded and grabbed her bag of supplies nearby. "Yup. But even if I didn't, I'd have you to protect me, right?" Yun-seong blushed and Mina giggled. "I'm just teasing you. C'mon, get to sleep, I'll tell you guys everything I know in the morning when I can keep my eyes open." She tossed her bedroll on the ground next to Yun-seong's, yawned and got in, pulling the attached blanket over her head.

Yun-seong gazed at her sleeping form, happy she finally caught up to him again and they were together again. And who knew? Maybe if, during their travels, they got to somewhere nice enough, he'd tell her he loved her. And if she rejected him…

I'll feed her soul to Soul Edge!! Yun-seong decided, but shook his head. No. She's not going to reject me, because I'm going to be a hero and show her how awesome I am. Then she'll fall madly in love with me. Yeah.

Cassandra, who was watching Yun-seong debate with himself, laughed. "My god, Yun-seong. The next time you tease me about Siegfried, I'm so kicking your sorry ass!"

"Oh, shut up and go to bed!!" Yun-seong grumbled, and with a scowl, pulled his blanket over his head, his face hot enough to burn the entire forest down. Stupid Cassandra. What'd she know about love?

About as much as I do, Yun-seong thought with a sigh, and dozed off, thinking about Mina (as always).

* * *

"Wake up! C'mon, Yun-seong, rise and shine!"

Although Yun-seong loved Mina with every ounce of his heart that wasn't already occupied by food, himself, his hair, and fighting, hearing her cheerful voice first thing in the morning was going to take some getting used to. He was used to waking himself up. Mina was a morning person; he was barely an afternoon person.

"Minaaaa, it's too early," Yun-seong whined, sitting up, greeted by his shirt hitting him in the face.

"Don't be such a wimp! You're burning daylight just lying around in bed all day! I've got breakfast cooking!" Mina said, grinning at him.

Yun-seong yawned again, tousling his messy hair and rubbing his bare chest. "Something smells good," he said, and pulled his shirt on. "Mina, when'd you learn how to cook?"

Mina playfully smacked him. "Ever since I had to live off the land, smartass. Let's eat, Cassandra went to take a bath or something. What a prima donna. Nobody bathes in the wilderness."

"Well, Cas does," Yun-seong chuckled, and smiled happily. Mina really was here; he was worried that he dreamed the whole thing up or something.

"What're you smiling about?" Mina teased, prodding him gently. "C'mon, eat up, when Cassandra get back I'll tell you what I know."

Yun-seong nodded and sat down a few feet away from Mina, next to the small campfire she had going. He didn't want to be too close, or he might be tempted to throw his arms around her. They both ate their food in companionable silence, Yun-seong not knowing what to say.

Mina swallowed her food and decided to break the silence. "Y'know, I am really glad you're OK, Yun-seong," she said, lowering her voice. "Running off like that… you were lucky I didn't catch up to you right away. I was ready to kill you!"

"I left a note!" Yun-seong whined.

Mina rolled her eyes and opened the small carrying pouch she wore on her belt, taking a crumbled piece of paper out.

"_Mina- I went to find the Sword of Salvation. Hwang's a stupid jerk and I want to show everyone what I'm capable of. Mina, I'm sorry, but I had to do this. I took White Storm with me. I know when you lent it to me, you didn't mean I could take it and run off on an adventure, but I hope you understand. And if I don't make it home again, thanks for everything. Yun-seong. Uhh, and by the way, if I do make it home, please don't kill me when I get back. OK, I'm done now."_

Mina finished reading and scowled. "You didn't even tell me where you were headed!"

"I didn't know where I was going," Yun-seong said sheepishly. "I figured I would just wing it…"

"I was able to talk Dad into letting me go after you, telling him I'd find you, kick your ass, and bring you back home. But mostly the only thing I was mad at you about was that you left without me!" Mina complained.

"I told you to come with me, the night before I left," Yun-seong said, "When did you come after me? The same day I left? I left pretty early. After you gave me White Storm, I went back to my room, got some sleep and decided to go that morning."

"Well, you didn't show up for breakfast, and I figured you were still upset about the Hwang thing," Mina said. "And then when I get to your room, and you're not in there, and half of your clothes are gone, I figured you'd run away. It was a good thing I didn't see you that day, or I would have strangled you. I found your letter and went to Dad, basically telling him if he didn't let me go find you, I'd leave anyways. He suggested Hwang come with me as protection, but I told him I'd kick his ass and leave his body for the rats if he did."

Yun-seong laughed. "Bet he was thrilled to hear that."  
**  
**Mina made a face. "He saw it coming. My dad's so protective. I'm twenty-one years old, and he still treats me like a child, and so does Hwang. They're both total pains in the ass."

She yawned. "I knew I was getting close to you, so instead of sleeping and letting you get too far ahead of me, I went after you all night. And now I'm exhausted."

"Get some more sleep," Yun-seong suggested. "Cas is still dragging her ass out there. You could at least get another hour."

"Sounds good," Mina agreed. "But I already put all my stuff away… so I'm going to steal yours." She yawned and climbed inside Yun-seong's bedroll. "Alright, wake me up when it's time to go."

"Alright," Yun-seong said. He yawned. "I could go with some more sleep too. But I'll be OK."

"This thing's big enough for two people," Mina suggested. "I don't mind sharing if you don't."

Yun-seong's brain nearly exploded at the thought of sharing the bedroll with Mina, and gulped. "Um… OK," he agreed, and awkwardly climbed in, trying not to touch Mina to avoid making her suspicious.

Mina yawned again and, to Yun-seong's embarrassment/horror, cuddled up closer to him. "What're you being so shy for?" she asked. "Quit spazzing out!"

Yun-seong, unable to find a way to get comfortable without doing this, awkwardly wrapped his arm around Mina. "Mmmm. You're warm," Mina said, causing Yun-seong's already red face to flush again. He closed his eyes, but thanks to his thumping heartbeat, his fluttering stomach and Mina's soft hair tickling his chest, he doubted he was going to get any sleep at all…

* * *

Cassandra happily returned to the campsite, feeling clean and refreshed. She was able to wash her clothes too, and they dried while she was bathing.

Wonder what Yun-seong and Mina are up to, she thought to herself, giggling at the scene she woke up to last night. Yun-seong teased her about Siegfried, but the minute the girl he's in love with shows up, he's all flustered and embarrassed. At least I can keep my cool around Siegfried! …even though I only saw him once…

I wonder where he is, Cassandra sighed. Probably on some heroic quest to destroy Soul Edge and redeem himself… I can't believe he really was Nightmare. But my god, he's… so friggen gorgeous… An image of Siegfried's handsome face flickered through her mind and Cassandra found herself smiling and blushing like an idiot.

Oh, shit, I am as bad as Yun-seong, she realized, and grinned. Oh, whatever. But if he makes one more crack about Siegfried, or calls me Mrs. Schtauffen again, I'm gonna kill him!!

She found a familiar bag and recognized it to be hers, and entered their campsite. Where'd they go? she wondered, noticing the entire campsite seemed to be tidied up, except for an occupied bedroll in the corner. She noticed a mess of red hair sticking out and sighed. "Time to get up, Yun-seong," she said, and kicked him in the side.

"Oww!" whined a female voice. Yun-seong stirred, noticed Cassandra, and screamed.

"AAAH!!" Yun-seong yelled, panicking. Mina groaned and emerged from the bedroll as well.

All Cassandra could see was Yun-seong's body and Mina's head, and Yun-seong didn't appear to have his shirt on. "Uhh… what were you doing??"

"What? OH!! EWW!!" Mina gasped, her face turning pink. "You're disgusting! Oh my god!" She quickly threw the flap of the bedroll open and escaped, Cassandra relieved to see the Korean girl had her clothes on.

"Eww?" Yun-seong repeated, insulted. Mina didn't seem to hear him.

"I'm sorry, I jumped to conclusions!! It looked pretty bad," Cassandra admitted.

"Oh, please," Mina scoffed. "Like I'd ever—NOT IN A MILLION YEARS!!" she finished, still blushing.

"Not in a MILLION years!?" Yun-seong repeated, aghast. Once again, Mina didn't hear him.

"Oh, never mind," Mina said, looking annoyed and shooting glares in Cassandra's direction.

"O…K. Well, now that that's over with," Cassandra said, shaking her head, "I guess let's keep going to that clock tower?"

"Clock Tower? What clock tower?" Mina asked curiously.

"We bumped into—or should I say, YUN-SEONG bumped into—a guy back in a village we went through. He told us he was a servant of the man who occupies the Clock Tower, and told us to head out there," Cassandra said.

"Yeah, he called our bluffs, so we're going to kick his master's ass," Yun-seong said.

Mina looked suspicious. "Sounds like a trap to me, guys. Usually when a strange guy tells you to head to a secret location, you end up getting attacked."

"I'm sure it's nothing we can't handle," Cassandra said, "we've dealt with much worse…"

* * *

OR IS IT? Will the Clock Tower challenge be too much for our team to handle? Will Yun-seong grow a pair and tell Mina how he feels? Will Cassandra be able to change into her new Soul Calibur 4 outfit before Siegfried shows up again? Will Siegfried even SHOW UP again? (yes) Will Jenizaki stop speaking in questions, as this format is getting kind of annoying to read? (yes…)

ALL THIS AND MORE, in the next chapter of... Search for the Sword!!

(oh, wait, I lied, Siegfried's not showing up next chapter… I'm not sure when he is, actually, I should probably look into that. xD)

As usual, all compliments/complaints/ideas/criticism/flames/ect, send me a purdy little review. I try to reply to every review, so if you've got a question, fire away… unless it gives the story away, of course. :)


	12. Chapter 12

Do I have to do the disclaimer every chapter? I did it once at the beginning… that should be enough, right? Then again, Namco has earned grovelling rights because I have been told that you can turn Siegfried into a speedo-wearing angsty surfer, and the mental images are enough to send me hunting for a job to aquire enough money for Soul Calibur 4, and/or a PS3 or Xbox 360. :) Thanks, Firestrider!

Hmm, where'd we leave off? Hell if I know, go back and check! :) It hasn't been too long since I updated last… a couple days ago, at least. I'm still on the front page of the Soul Calibur stories. YAY! Has anyone noticed there's a "Soul Caliber" category? There's about seven stories in there, too. I've never played "Soul Caliber" before…

* * *

"Well, this sucks. It's huge!" Yun-seong said, tilting his head back to look at the entire clock tower. "How the hell do you get up there?"

"I would think there would be stairs," Cassandra said, and reached for the door. "OK, let's get this over with."

"Whaddaya mean, let's? You guys aren't coming in here!" Yun-seong said, blocking her entrance.

"Yun-seong, we're standing outside an abandoned clock tower in scenic middle of nowhere. No way in hell am I gonna wait out here while you go on your little suicide expedition," Cassandra scowled.

"Yeah, no fair, Yun-seong," Mina added, "Why do you get to have all the fun? We're coming too!"

"No way! Someone's gotta stand guard anyway," Yun-seong said.

"Does this look like a doorman's uniform to you? Now, move it or lose it!" Cassandra said, poking him in the stomach.

"Well, what if I do THIS!?" Yun-seong yelled, and pushed Cassandra into Mina. Ignoring their protests (well, more like enraged vulgar screaming) he seized White Storm from his bag, threw the bag to the ground, ran through the door and slammed it shut, lowering the lever to lock it.

"HEY!" Mina yelled. "You're gonna pay for that, kid! Open the door!"

KID!? Yun-seong winced. "Save your breath, Mina! You two just go take a nap or something!" he yelled. KID? She thinks I'm a KID? I'm not a kid!

Cassandra apparently decided to save her breath, and began mercilessly beating and kicking the crap out of the door. "OPEN THE DOOR!" she yelled, between hits.

Yun-seong just laughed. Instead of replying, he started up the spiral stairs as quickly as he could. He stopped and looked up from where he was, where an almost endless spiral of vertical stairs wrapped around the interior of the round building, and let out a pained groan.

"Aw, man… this sucks," Yun-seong said bitterly, and reluctantly resumed his climb. This was going to take a while…

* * *

"Dammit. Now what?" Yun-seong swore, reaching a dead end. From where he was, a small balcony seemed to be floating in mid-air, but he later saw it was connected to a small pole in the center of the tower, the silver pole he'd been circling the whole time as he climbed stairs.

The only way he could think to get from where he was to the balcony over there was jumping. "I know I'm not going to like this," he scowled, and took a few steps back, deciding to sprint towards the edge and jump when he got close.

Alright… here goes nothin'…

He shot off in a sprint. Since he'd been running all day he wasn't moving as fast as he could, and lost some momentum. He leapt over the edge and, ordering himself NOT TO LOOK DOWN, he barely made it to the balcony.

"Whoa-oaaaa—AH!" Yun-seong grunted, and nearly slid off the balcony entirely, grabbing a tight hold on the edge with his fingers.

"AAAAAAARRGH…" With a loud, pained grunt that seemed to echo through the entire tower, he managed to pull himself on top of the balcony, breathing heavily from the effort.

"I don't believe it. There's nobody here," he growled. From down below, he thought he heard the sound of someone slamming against the door, and decided it was probably Cassandra, still trying to force her way in. He didn't want to look, it was a long way down…

He looked around. "Hey! Is anyone here!?" he yelled.

No reply.

"Waste of stinkin' time," he scowled, then realized another problem. How do I get down from here?

He thought he heard footsteps from above, but there was nobody around. Shit. Now I'm hearing things!

He kept his grip on White Storm and looked around. This tower was abandoned. The cogs that were supposed to run the clock weren't moving, and were coated with dust, with cobwebs strung between them. If sunlight hadn't been streaming in from the large, stained-glass windows, the place would be pitch black.

He heard a loud clang behind and turned around, letting out a loud yelp. One of the large metal cogs had come loose and was bouncing and rolling towards him.

"Shit!" he swore, and jumped out of the way, the cog bouncing off the edge and falling towards the floor below. "How'd that happen!?"

As if to answer his question, a tall, dark-skinned man wearing a white hooded cloak landed on the balcony, carrying a giant scythe. "You're quicker than I thought. It seems I underestimated you," he said cooly, eying Yun-seong up and down. "But I will not allow you to get in my way. Let's go!"

"What? You want to fight?" Yun-seong asked, and smirked. "Fine! This should be fun! But you're gonna regret this!" He assumed a fighting stance and the man attacked, swinging his scythe at Yun-seong's head.

"Oh, please. It'll take a lot more than that to take me out," Yun-seong scoffed, crouching down and quickly delivering a kick to the man's midsection. The man grunted and caught himself before he flew over the edge.

"Impressive. I won't let that happen again," the man said calmly.

Yun-seong scowled. "You think you can mess with me and walk away? Think again!" He charged again and swung White Storm at the man's head, who blocked with the scythe.

"Ha, ha! You fell for it!" Yun-seong laughed. Using the force of the man's scythe pressing against White Storm, he lifted himself off his feet and kicked the man in the upper chest, causing him to stumble over the edge.

"HAHA! You look like an idiot!" Yun-seong laughed, tossing his sword in the air and catching it triumphantly. "Next time think twice before you mess with—oh shit," he said, as the man rose from the air, a malevolent purple aurora crackling around him. (Think Super Saiyans, just purple instead of yellow.)

"Wh-what the hell!? How'd you do that?" Yun-seong demanded.

"If you're looking for the sword, I suggest head back East. As you've suspected, the Azure Knight has risen and his minions are searching for the sword as well. But in the meantime… I place my curse upon you, young and fearless warrior of the East…" the man said, still sounding as calm as ever. He then rose into the air and seemed to disappear.

Now in full panic mode, Yun-seong ran off the balcony, stumbling and landing on his front on the spiral stairs. Terrified, he broke into a sprint, running as fast as his body could take him out the door, nearly tripping over his own feet in the process.

Apparently Cassandra gave up trying to break the door down, as it was still closed. Yun-seong fumbled with the lock and tried to open it, but his trembling fingers wouldn't cooperate.

"Dammit, open!" he swore angrily, and finally cut the latch off with his sword and kicked the door down.

Cassandra was lying under a tree, asleep, and Mina was pacing about. She heard the noise Yun-seong was causing and looked up.

"Yun-seong!? What the hell happened?" she asked.

"This guy… in there…" Yun-seong gasped, exhausted from the trip down. "He… he said… he said…"

"Said what?" Mina asked, and gently helped him sit down so he could catch his breath. "Drink some water, you can't breathe!" She pulled her water canteen from her bag and handed it to him.

Yun-seong quickly drained the canteen and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand, his breathing slowly returning to normal. "I got ambushed by this guy in there," he explained. "He attacked me and told me the Azure Knight really is back, and suggested we head east…"

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised," Mina said. "Is that all he said? Anything else?"

"He said something, but I don't remember what it was," Yun-seong said sheepishly. "What? I was scared shitless! I wanted to get the hell out of there!"

"Well, it'll come back and haunt us later," Mina sighed. She looked back at Yun-seong, who was trying to catch his breath. "We can stop and rest for a while. He must have really kicked the crap out of you…"

"No, he didn't even touch me. I roughed him up a little, but he wasn't hurt. Instead, he… floated away, and then I felt scared I just ran out of there," Yun-seong said, feeling more like a wimp by the second.

"There wasn't anything you could do," Mina said, and scowled at him.

"What?" Yun-seong asked.

"What else? WHY'D YOU LOCK ME OUT!?" Mina shouted.

Yun-seong jumped. "I figured something was gonna happen, I didn't want you or Cassandra getting hurt," he admitted.

Mina smiled and stood up, giving his shoulder a squeeze. "Well… I know you were trying to help, in your own STUPID way, so… I'm not mad. But if you do it again, you'd better hope you get the crap kicked out of you, or I'm beating the living daylights out of you when you get out!"

Yun-seong hid a grin. He missed having Mina yell at him and threatening to kill him all the time.

Cassandra yawned. "Uggh… is Yun-seong back?"

"Yes," Yun-seong said.

Cassandra let out a loud groan.

"Nice to see you too," he said sarcastically.

"Oh, shut up! My neck hurts! I slept on it funny," Cassandra complained. "Oh, whatever…" She walked over to Yun-seong and promptly smacked him upside his head. "You little DWEEB! Don't you EVER lock me out of the action again!" she yelled.

"Oww!" Yun-seong complained.

"I already yelled at him, Cassandra," Mina said, although she was grinning too. "Don't you give me that look, Yun-seong, you deserved that."

"No I didn't," Yun-seong whined. "This is the thanks I get for trying to protect my beautiful friends." He grinned.

Mina rolled her eyes and smacked him. "That's not gonna work on me! Nice try though."

"What?" Cassandra asked, surprised. "You didn't want us getting hurt? Really? I thought you were being a shameless glory hog! I'm sorry!"

Yun-seong made a face. "I'm hungry. Cook me something to eat, and all will be forgiven."

"We're out of food, thanks to you and your bottomless stomach," Cassandra reminded him, holding her hand out to Yun-seong. "But we can backtrack back to that creepy village if you're really hungry…"

"No thanks, I'll just wait for the next village," Yun-seong grunted, taking her hand. "Ouch. I dunno why I feel so funny right now… the guy never hit me…"

"You're probably just freaked out," Mina said. "Y'know, adrenaline and all that stuff. C'mon, let's get outta this creepy place."

"Yeah," Yun-seong agreed. "But, seriously, guys. I'm hungry!!"

* * *

Chapter 12, hooray. I'm really dragging my ass here… this is a Soul Calibur 3 themed story, but at the rate I'm going, it'll be Soul Calibur 6 time by the time I'm done. xDDDDDD


	13. Chapter 13

I'm ALIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE :D

And I return with an update! Woohoo!! I'm so backed up on stories I need to update I'm going to be up to my eyelashes in Word documents, but I need something to do when I'm stuck in class and my professor won't stop lecturing.

I want to apologize for how long it's taken me to update; I definitely wish I could say this chapter is my best 100,000,000 percent effort, but it's not! :( I had everything all planned out for what I wanted to do, and then I forgot. (Just kidding, I have a better excuse than THAT!)

Anyway this is mostly just a boot to the ass chapter in my case; but enjoy it all the same! It's the last chapter you'll get all year, think of it that way! :D

* * *

After traveling for about a day and a half, Yun-seong, Cassandra, and Mina arrived at a big European city.

"Woah," Cassandra said, "Look at all the guys!""Look at all the clothes!" Mina said, her eyes wide.

Yun-seong groaned in exasperation. "Do your girly stuff later! FOOD!"

Cassandra looked like she'd quite like to smack him, but rolled her eyes. "There's a restaurant over there…"

* * *

"So where'd that creepy guy say to go again?" Cassandra asked.

"East," Yun-seong said, who was back to his usual cheerful self while chomping through some foreign European food. "Hey, Cas, if you're Korean in the bedroom, what're you in the bathroom?"

"Oh, great. Is this one of those dirty sex jokes I never understand?" groaned Cassandra.

"No. That drunk guy over there just told me," Yun-seong said, wiping his mouth on his hand. "C'mon, if I can get it you can too. What are you in the bathroom?"

"Oh, I give up. What am I?" Cassandra asked.

"European!" Yun-seong yelled, and started laughing. "Your-a-pee-in! In the bathroom!! HA!!"

Mina rolled her eyes. Well, it was good to know Yun-seong hadn't changed… at ALL…

"I don't get it," Cassandra said, confused.

"Must be a blonde thing," Yun-seong scoffed, and Cassandra leaned over and smacked him upside the head. "Ow! What was THAT for!?"

"If you can't figure it out, I'm not gonna tell you!" Cassandra scowled, and crossed her arms.

"OK, back to important matters," Mina interrupted, rolling her eyes. "Should we trust this guy and go East, or keep searching for information on our own?"

"I don't think we can trust anyone who set a trap," Cassandra complained. "I mean, come on, it's like taking directions from the Azure Knight himself!""Actually, taking directions from the Azure Knight when you're trying to figure out the Azure Knight's location would be a pretty good idea," Mina said thoughtfully.

"Har har. Aren't you a laugh riot," Cassandra rolled her eyes. "What do you think, Yun-seong?"

"Which way's East again?" Yun-seong asked.

"Asia's east," Mina said. "Y'know… Korea, Japan, ect… where we live…"

"I hate Japan," Yun-seong growled, savagely biting into some sort of fruit, he didn't know what it was. "Stupid invading jerks. If we go to Japan I'm killing them all!"

"Yun-seong, keep your voice down!" Cassandra hissed. "That creepy guy over there with the _giant machete _looks Japanese!"

"You think I'm bad here, just wait 'til we get to Japan," Yun-seong scoffed.

"Yun-seong, cool it. You're not going to kill the Japanese," Mina said firmly, and Yun-seong looked at her in shock. "At least, not without my help." She gave an evil smile, and Yun-seong beamed at her adoringly (before realizing what he was doing and mentally slapping himself silly, of course).

"We haven't been to Japan yet, I'm sure there's something Soul Edge related going on there," Cassandra said. "Or maybe it's a complete waste of time? Worth a shot, right?"

"I already fought a bunch of stupid Japanese ninjas before I met you, Cas," Yun-seong complained. "Remember? That psycho bitch who tried to cut my arm off?"

"Yeah, and then I found you, and you stabbed me, and everything went downhill from there," Cassandra said, rolling her eyes. "Those guys over there are talking about this luxury ship that's headed for Japan. What do you say we hop aboard?"

"We can't afford a luxury ship," Yun-seong said, dumping their remaining total of six gold coins on the table. He looked at the few coins sadly. "I don't think we can afford a luxury plank. We're screwed."

Cassandra sighed. "Mina, do you have any money?""No. I'm broke too," Mina said, sighing.

"I don't believe this! Where'd all our money go?" Yun-seong asked angrily. "Maybe we got robbed or something in our sleep?"

The tavern owner came over to Yun-seong and held out his hand. "Young man, you said you were an orphan with no chance of being fed tonight. I see you've got currency. That'll be twelve gold pieces," he said, glaring down at the shiny coins.

"This isn't money!" Yun-seong cried. "It's, uhh…"

"THAT'S where our money's going, Yun-seong," Cassandra said, annoyed. "It's going to feed your bottomless stomach!"

"Hey, that's not fair! If I don't eat, then I can't fight. And if I can't fight, then we die!" Yun-seong whined. Getting a quick idea, he grabbed the coins and, lying through his teeth, said to the man, "Um, these are special Korean coins. One of these things is equal to two European coins."

Cassandra looked like she was going to say something and Yun-seong kicked her under the table to keep her quiet. He didn't have any other ideas, so this had better work.

To his surprise, the man smiled. "Well, I'm not about to engage in a matter of foreign currency, so OK!" He collected the coins and walked away, laughing merrily.

* * *

"Am I great or what?" Yun-seong bragged, as they left the restaurant.

"NO!" Cassandra shouted. "If you were great, you wouldn't have dumped the money on the table in clear view of the whole world!!"

"Oh, leave him alone," Mina said, playfully hitting his head. "But seriously, Yun-seong… not your best performance!"

"Well, now we've got another problem. We need to make some serious gold if we're going to catch that ship," Cassandra said, "And it's not like bags of gold fall from the sky!"

"Hey, we could try selling you two into prostitution," Yun-seong suggested, grinning ear to ear. Mina promptly punched him in the head and Cassandra punched him in the stomach.

"OW! I was kidding! Nobody would pay for you two anyway!" Yun-seong complained, and was punched by the angry women yet again. "OW! Stop hitting me!"

"Keep it up and I'm selling YOU into slavery!" Cassandra scowled. "So what're we going to do? Got any more brilliant ideas?"

"For once, I don't," Yun-seong admitted. "Well, we're screwed. What about you two? I'm not the only one with a brain here!"

"I suggest we find a way to make some money," Mina said. "This isn't just about the ship, it's about survival. We can't buy food without money."

"We could try cooking some food of our own," Yun-seong suggested.

"There isn't any ingredients around! There's only fish, and if we're not near a river, we're screwed!" Mina pointed out.

"Alright, alright, fine. What about you, Cassandra? You got any ideas?" Yun-seong asked.

"Me? How the heck am I supposed to think of these things? What're we gonna do, stow away?" Cassandra asked, laughing at the idea.

"That's a great idea!" Yun-seong yelled, causing several people walking by to jump. "What're you looking at!? Mind your own business!" he shouted.

Cassandra glanced over at Mina, who shrugged. "We don't have manners classes at the dojo!"

Yun-seong waited until the people around them had gone back to their own business, and turned back towards his companions. "I say we sneak on that ship when nobody's looking and steal a ride to Japan! How hard can it be?" he asked with a grin.

"Let's check out the ship first," Cassandra suggested. "Then we can figure out what to do from there."

* * *

Upon reaching the docks, Yun-seong's jaw dropped at the magnificent sight of the docked ship.

"How are we going to sneak on there!?" Cassandra cried, staring. "There's men with guns! Everywhere!"

"I can take 'em!" Yun-seong said, "Let me at 'em!"

"Oh, stop it. Leave this to me," Mina sighed. "And get ready to run."

"Wait, what are you gonna do?" Yun-seong asked.

"You'll see." Mina grinned at him and walked up to the guards, swinging her hips from side to side and stopping in front of the guards, whose attention was immediately focused on Mina.

"Hi there," Mina said, putting her arms behind her head and smiling seductively at the guards. "Any chance you boys have extra tickets onto this ship?" She put her other hand on her hip and leaned over a little.

"Tickets? Sure we've got tickets, sweetheart. They're selling right over there," one of the guards said, gesturing to the line of people.

Mina scowled. "Oh, come on! What the hell do I have to do, flash you or something?"

If Yun-seong was jealous at first, that was crossing a line. "She'd better not!" he growled, and Cassandra giggled.

"What's the matter, ya jealous?" she teased.

"Shut up!" Yun-seong grumbled, and folded his arms. The correct answer was YES, VERY MUCH SO, but he wasn't about to tell Cassandra that.

"Alright, missy, we're going to have to take you in," the guard said, glancing at Mina.

"Take me in where? Did I win free tickets?" Mina asked.

"No. But we're taking you in to see the captain. We don't need prostitutes hanging around here scaring away any customers," the guard said gruffly.

"Yeah, and I'm married with two kids," the other guard added.

Mina laughed. "Well in that case… EAT SOME OF THIS!" She crouched down and kicked the guard's legs out from under him. The guard yelped and fell towards the ground, and Mina promptly kicked him again, sending him flying in a complete midair flip. The poor guard fell into the water.

Yun-seong and Cassandra stared. "What's she doing?" Cassandra asked, outraged. "I'm no con artist, but that is _not _the way to get free tickets!!"

"That's Mina for you," Yun-seong said, grinning.

"HEY! You can't do that!" yelled the other guard, drawing his rifle from his belt. "Get back here!"

"RUN FOR IT!" Cassandra yelped, grabbing Yun-seong's arm and running for it."What!? We can't leave her!" Yun-seong shouted, "MINAAAAAAAAAA!"

* * *

"I can't believe we abandoned her!" Yun-seong complained, "She's going to kill us! You're out of your mind! There's probably a nice new criminal bounty on her head, too!!" He glared at Cassandra, only to see she wasn't paying any attention to him. "What're you staring at? Is Siegfried over there?" he asked with a grin.

Cassandra's face turned as bright pink as her shield. "WHAT? No! Shut up!" she snapped. "Come on!" She stomped over towards a large wooden terrace, which was crowded with people, where a large sign with bright English letters had been hung.

DANCE CONTEST!

SPONSORED BY THE INTERNATIONAL

STRIKE-A-POSE MOVEMENT

FIRST PRIZE—500,000 GOLD

ALL LEVELS OF TALENT MAY APPLY

NO PROFESSIONALS, PLEASENO PERFORMERS MAY BE NAKED

COUPLES ONLY!

SIGN UP BOOTH OVER THERE!

"Couples only, huh?" Cassandra said thoughtfully. "HEY! YUN-SEONG! Get over here!" she -seong came over. "What?" he asked, noticing the sign. "I can't read that!"

Cassandra rolled her eyes and read the sign to Yun-seong, who looked confused.

"All levels of talent may apply, No professionals please? That doesn't make any sense!" Realizing why Cassandra was smirking at him, he shook his head wildly. "No! No! Absolutely not! No way!" he protested.

"Come ON, Yun-seong! We've gotta at least give it a shot!" Cassandra complained, grabbing his arm and shaking it. "Don't be a wimp! Girls love guys who dance!""I don't care! It's not worth the humiliation! I'm not doing it!" Yun-seong whined.

"Yun-seonnnnng!! Don't be such a wuss! Dancing's not hard! You can do all that fancy footwork with your sword, just pretend you're fighting!" Cassandra whined, grabbing his arm and shaking it. "Yun-seong, this is our ONLY shot to get aboard that ship! Look at the prize money, we can BUY a ship with that kind of gold!!""But look at all these people! There's no way we're gonna beat all of them!" Yun-seong protested. "Cass, come ON—"

Seeing the pleading expression on his companion's face, Yun-seong groaned. "FINE!" he grumbled. "But I won't like it! And I'm not wearing tights!""WOOHOO! You don't have to! Come on, let's go sign up!" Cassandra cheered, pulling Yun-seong behind her.

* * *

Mina hadn't been able to stop laughing.

"You two are going to enter!?" she laughed, bending over. "B-but Yun-seong doesn't know how to DANCE!!""Are you done laughing yet?" Yun-seong complained.

"No," she giggled, "but you two realize if you lose, we're sunk, right?" Mina grinned.

"No pressure or anything," Cassandra said. "Alright, come on, Yun-seong, let's see what you've got.""Mina, would you shut the hell up!?" Yun-seong shouted at Mina, who was still doubled over laughing. "I can't concentrate!""Alright, Yun-seong, let's see what you've got. When I count off, do something that looks good," Cassandra said, folding her arms. "Ready? 5, 6, 7, 8!""What?" Yun-seong asked, scratching his head.

Cassandra hit herself in the forehead. "Oh, Gods… this is gonna be a long day…"

* * *

Why dance? Because everyone does a tournament for a piece of Soul Edge, or money, or some other useful tool for a quest. Nobody as far as I can think of has done dance, so here's dance! (besides, this is more of a shits and giggles fic than an actual Soul Calibur lore testament lol)

Geez, I feel like some bottom tier author who just produced a steaming pile of crap and tried to fob it off as a respectable chapter. :P I've proofread this at least twice, but chances are very high that I missed something, so I apologize in advance.

My fandoms wax and wane quite a bit; for a while I'll be into Soul Calibur, then I'll be into Dynasty Warriors, and (right now) I'm big into Battle Royale. But I'm trying to balance all three of 'em!!

Happy New Year, by the way! Hope everyone has a great 2009 and definitely expect lots of updates and new stories from me this year!


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